Stories of Hope

For Mercedez Milling-Robinson, being a mom was something that came easy, even natural, for her. “Being a mom means being responsible, but it’s also a blessing and an honor. It’s so much love,” she says. With the birth of their newborn daughter, everything seems to be complete now, but that journey wasn’t easy. “I was nervous this time around because of my first experience giving birth. The staff kept telling me ‘Relax, you know your body and when it will be time to push.’ They really believed in me throughout my labor.” Mercedez first visited Community of Hope’s Conway Health and Resource Center with her sister. Now, a year later Mercedez and Mayara are patients at Community of Hope and thank them for their “great support.”

What an exciting time of year August is! For students it means summer ends and the new school year begins. For Jaylen, attending a new school also means beginning a new daily commute. “I’m excited to meet new friends, and I’m happy that most of my friends are going to be in my classes, too!” The transition from middle to high school doesn’t seem to be difficult for Jaylen. His mom, Mrs. Matthews, has no doubt that the transition will go well, as the family is no stranger to successfully overcoming changes.

Moving from place to place may be easy for some, but leaving the place you know as home in hopes of better isn’t easy. Cameroon native, Toyi Chana lived in his country for over 27 years. "Life in the U.S. is a much better life than in Cameroon,” he explains. “I can live freely, move freely. No one is pushing me [around] and I’m not afraid of being arrested at any time.” After hearing about Community of Hope from Catholic Charities, Mr. Chana called us. When asked about what Community of Hope means to him, he stated “I have a life now.”

Woinshet left her home in Ethiopia and came to the United States to live and work; but limited access to healthcare and resources would prevent her from achieving the freedom she was in search of. “I became sick and was looking for free or affordable healthcare,” she said. “I suffered from pain in my legs from varicose veins, pain in my abdomen, and problems with my vision. It was hard for me and I didn’t know what to do until I found [Community of] Hope.” After visiting a clinic in the Brookland neighborhood, Woinshet was referred to Community of Hope, which suddenly made her hopeful for the future.

“I learned that I really didn’t need many friends around, especially the bad influences. I’m in the house more often now, and I distance myself from those that aren’t good for me. “My kids loved Hope, though. They would participate in everything.” Ms. Hazelwood’s 3 children—ages 10, 8, and 5—enjoyed Play Night and the programs offered by Project Create the most. She still takes them back to Hope Apartments to visit staff. “My kids are very understanding. They don’t ask for too much. It’s why I try to do as much as possible for them.”

“It’s still surreal. I didn’t think this would happen,” Ms. Jones said of her new home. “After everything I been through, Community of Hope helped me a lot.” Now, securely in her new home—thanks to a rapid rehousing program—Ms. Jones feels a bit relieved. She continues her job search daily, and still makes time to bond with Alaysia, who has built a great social life at school. “Alaysia is much more outgoing and confident than I am. I want her to be proud of who she is and know that she can be anything she wants to be.”

Pizza, drinks, and great conversation.

Community of Hope volunteers and Staff spent their Wednesday night at the Board Room in Dupont Circle. Our staff congratulated volunteers on their significant contributions to families and patients in need.

Stephanie Marrone leads our Play Night at Hope.  As a committed volunteer, she organizes creative crafts and hands-on projects for the children at Hope Apartments to explore each Tuesday night in the playroom. Stephanie gets an “energy boost” by playing with the children at Hope. She and the other Play Night volunteers have become a family and look forward to spending quality time together each week.

Charla Everhart Lum, Vice President of Talent Management, recently stepped back from her position after ten years at Community of Hope.  Charla provided leadership in all aspects of staff development as we grew from a staff of about 40 people at two locations in 2006, to about 200 people at seven locations in 2017. We are so grateful to Charla for her vision and leadership, and for ensuring a smooth transition by developing an internal leader to fill her position.  We are pleased to share these reflections from Charla about her journey at Community of Hope:

From the challenges of domestic violence and single parenting, Sherrelle is rising. Surrounded by her new-found 'sisters' from her CenteringPregnancy® group and with her Healthy Start team, she is discovered she and her baby are not alone.