We serve a God who cares so much for His creation that He sent Jesus to walk amongst us. Throughout scripture, we are reminded to care for those who are oppressed — those who are poor, orphans, widows, fatherless, and foreigners. Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy (see Luke 4:16-21): The Spirit of the Lord is on me,because he has anointed meto proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to […]
If you’re interested in serving water bottles at the library, please see our Cooling Off page. It’s a very simple process and a wonderful way to serve on super hot days!
We’ve made some changes to our Wishlist process. Instead of one long list that seems intimidating for our friends, we now have two lists: Immediate Top Needs These are items that we need to purchase for our operations now. Many of our friends want to buy things for us, so the shortlist includes underwear, coffee, and bowls for grits!! The cost of items listed here ranges from about $8 for […]
Our #1 rule for the Warming Center is BE KIND! Each night we reviewed the rules and asked everyone to repeat this first rule. We’re doing our best to create a culture of kindness at HOPE Missions. A place where everyone is welcome. Our BOGO Be Kind T-Shirts are available now! Please follow the donation link: https://hopeupstate.org/donations/be-kind-t-shirts/ to order one or more shirts. For every donation, we will give a […]
Enable: 1) To give someone or something the authority or means to do something; 2) To make (a device or system, or let me offer…person) operational; activate In the recovery world and often in the world of people experiencing homelessness, the word “enable” has taken on a negative connotation. Recovery experts tell us that we should not “enable” our addict to continue in his/her addiction. They aren’t wrong. Many well-meaning […]
HOPE Missions of the Upstate Annual Report August 2022 Through July 2023 In the pages of this annual report, you will read how “the Mission” is a place for individuals in times of need. We know the programs and services we provide would not be possible without your generosity. Thank you for partnering with us to make a difference in many lives – and above all, kindness. Thanks to all […]
Years ago, during our time serving in the Air Force, we were stationed at RAF Alconbury in England. One of our goals was to use the weekends to explore ancient monuments, ruins, and especially castles like Warwick Castle or the infamous Leeds Castle. The visits with our young children were fascinating. We learned about England’s medieval history, about knights, kings, queens, and royal families. We walked in dungeons that reminded […]
One of the core principles of HOPE Missions is to serve our neighbors with unbounded love. We are the hands and feet of Jesus! It’s not a new idea by any means. The way we implement the command of Jesus to love one another centers on the word, Serve. I learned the hard way that “help” is a four-letter word. When we started HOPE Missions, we stepped into a huge […]