May/June 2015
Dear Friends of The Hope Center:

When I called Pam Wood, owner of Village Motor Werks, to tell her that her business was the first recipient of The Bridge Award for an outstanding business in our community, she said, "Really? Us? You have so many supporters who do so much more than we do."

 

As I stood at our Raising Hope Gala and looked around the room I was reminded of Pam's comment. There stood the volunteer who never fails to show up for her weekly tutoring appointment, the retired physician who goes door to door to local businesses for weeks to get donations for the silent auction, the struggling young professional who doesn't have much but always finds a way to make a small contribution to The Hope Center and the colleague at a non-profit who is taking a chance on one of our young people and giving him his first real job through our internship program.

 

By themselves, none of these things seem big. But when they are added together their impact is amazing. Together these individuals, businesses and organizations are giving over 100 young people who are aging out of foster care the comprehensive resources and support they need to be truly independent. They are providing homes, education and jobs.  They are bringing hope where there has been none.

 

Thank you for what you do - whether it's big or small. We couldn't do it without you.

 


Stacy Bluth
Executive Director
The Hope Center
This year's Raising Hope Gala on Thursday, May 14th was a fantastic success--with your support, we brought together over 170 people and raised over $30,000!  Lolita Foster, one of the stars from Netflix original series "Orange is the New Black" did an incredible job emceeing the event while we enjoyed a wide array of delicious food, a silent auction, honored our award winners, and heard heartfelt stories of some of our young people's experiences. 

One of the most poignant parts of the evening was when we heard from some of the young people we serve. They shared their hard journeys with us and their stories of resiliency. Kim told us: "My first interaction with The Hope Center was when I was 23. My biological mom left me when I was 6 months old and I started in the foster care system at the age of 16 after my step-mom realized I needed more help than she could provide. And I'd be lying if I said that didn't hurt, to be 16 and turned into the foster system. But I know now that it's the best thing she could have done for me so that I could get the care that I needed. And all of you in this room through your support have continued to help get me the care I need to become self-sufficient." 

Highlight: Internship Program

Our summer internships have kicked off! This young lady had her interview with Dress for Success Triangle NC, and we had our first "Lunch and Learn" for all 15 of our young people who are still in foster care and have internships for the summer with more wonderful non-profit partners like Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities,Inter-Faith Food ShuttleCAM RaleighUrban Ministries of Wake County,Neighbor to Neighbor OutreachSPCA of Wake CountyNorth Carolina Theatre ConservatoryArtspaceArtopiaThe Green Chair Project, and Food Bank of Central & Eastern North CarolinaOur interns are eager to begin this new experience.

You are welcome to drop off any donations at our office during normal business hours. 
We Have an Amazon Smile Account!

Summer is in full swing and if you plan to stock up on some summer reading through Amazon.com, we hope you consider creating a smile account. The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Hope Center at Pullen. All you need to do is go to smile.amazon.com and choose The Hope Center at Pullen as your charity of choice.  It's a great, easy way to support the work we are doing with young men and women with a history in foster care.
The Steward's Fund Challenge Isn't Over Yet! 

We are still in the middle of our Steward's Fund Challenge. Any new or increased gift between now and July 31st counts towards this challenge, up to $13,000. Please click here to make a donation to help us meet our goal! Thank you. 

Where To
Find Us

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Donate
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We are always in need of items on our wish list to help our young people as they set up their apartments.  For a complete list, click here.
 
 
Volunteer
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 We are always looking for volunteer mentors and tutors for our young people.  Click here to find out more information about how to get involved.
 
 
Contribute
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Donations of any amount help sustain the work we do with young men and women aging out of foster care.  Click here to find out more!
 
 

The Bridge Awards 

At the Raising Hope Gala we recognized three individuals/organizations that highlight the great work done by members of our community.The Bridge Awards annually recognize one individual, one business and one organization that demonstrate extraordinary commitment to helping young people aging out of foster care make a successful transition to adulthood. The recipients were:

Individual: Antowan Pickett, Wake County Human Services

Business: Village Motor Werks

Organization: Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities
| | [email protected] |
1801 Hillsborough Street
Raleigh, NC 27605