In This Issue
Upcoming Events
College & Scholarship Kick-Off
Hope Prep Highlights
Giving Thanks
Staff Announcements
Shop for BHGH
Get Involved!
Upcoming Events
Morning of Hope
March 25
Edward Jones-
North Campus

Women of Hope Spring Luncheon
The Brady Home
Invitations to Follow

Golf Tournament
June 22
Whitmoor Country Club

Where Hope Lives Open Houses

Girls Hope
March 5 
4:30pm

Boys Hope
April 7
4:30pm

RSVP to:
Meet a New Scholar!
India
4th Grade

Why She Came:
Educational opportunities and the chance for scholarships

Favorite Thing About Girls Hope:
Having other girls around to hang out

Hardest Thing About Girls Hope:
The chores!

2 Things She Wants to Pursue:
-Playing Guitar
-Cheerleading

Excited About:
Getting a good education and to "be happy"

Hopes For:
"I want to go to college to be a speech therapist. I've always dreamed of that."
Collegian Spotlight
Dorothy
Freshman
Murray State University (KY)

Major: Computer Information Systems

First Semester Accomplishments:
-3.5 GPA
-Becoming involved on campus

On Starting College:

I've been surprised at how manageable my academic work has been....A lot of people seem overwhelmed.  Thanks to Boys Hope Girls Hope, I could go to Nerinx, which was so challenging and hard, but I learned to work with teachers and advocate for myself.  That is paying off for me now in college.

Special Thanks 

We would like to acknowledge the following supporters for their vital generosity:
Estelle W. & Karen Kalish Foundation

Fischer-Bauer-Knirps Foundation

Flaming Charitable Foundation

The Guth Foundation

The Home Builder's Charitable Foundation

JP Foundation Trust

Patrick Tracy

Pershing Charitable Trust

The Sidener Foudnation

St. Louis Blues 14 Fund

Theodore A. Kienstra Foundation
Message from the Director

As I completed my first month on the job as the new ED, I had the feeling that I was missing something but couldn't put my finger on what that might be. I've been introduced to incredibly dedicated staff members and been thoroughly impressed by their commitment to our scholars. I've had the pleasure of meeting with several board members and attend a number of committee meetings; and I am in awe of their collective willingness to serve in those capacities. And finally, I've had the pleasure of being introduced to quite a few of our long time supporters and am blown away by their generosity.


 

But after 5 weeks, I still had the feeling that I was missing something. Then it hit me--between the meetings, greetings, reporting, Hope Builds design planning, program discussions, development planning and all the other tasks I've had the pleasure of participating in--it dawned on me that I still hadn't met the scholars. I visited Hope Prep, the Boys Home and the Girls Home, and then it really hit me. I immediately got it! I am incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to work with a wonderful group of staff, board members, volunteers and supporters in support of such a of dynamic scholars. Thank you!

 

Deacon Farrelly

College & Scholarship Exploration!
Featured college brochures arranged by region at the Exploration Kick-Off

As college acceptances and scholarship offers have begun rolling in for our three graduating seniors, we have launched a series of spring events designed to prepare our juniors for the search and application process. Next year will mark the first senior class of Hope Prep Academy, our non-residential program operated in partnership with the Ferguson-Florissant School District. In preparation for the exciting increase in graduating scholars, we gathered all residential and non-residential juniors, along with interested sophomores, for an afternoon of college and scholarship exploration last week.                                                                                                                               
Scholars explore and talk through school scholarship options with staff.
 We called upon BHGH alumni

 and staff to share about their college and scholarship search experiences via presentations and a live panel, introduced the important considerations in choosing a school and seeking scholarship support, and offered scholars a self-directed chance to explore the materials and resources we collected from hundreds of schools and scholarships. Each junior left with two colleges and scholarships they have committed to researching further and a list of upcoming college prep events and opportunities. 


 

This weekend, we will gather all of our scholars for our monthly Youth Empowerment Seminar event, which will focus on financial literacy in college and continue our discussion of sources of financial aid. Other upcoming events will include FAFSA info sessions through Irons in the Fire and the Scholarship Foundation, as well as the MOACAC Spring College Fair in April and a number of exciting summer workshop opportunities with which we are encouraging scholars to engage.

Highlights from Hope Prep

"I wish the entire student body could [take this class]. We learn so many life skills that school doesn't [teach] and we learn how to understand each other." Hope Prep Scholar

Class of 2016
As our first cohort of Hope Prep scholars, these
The 11th Graders send Christmas Wishes from Chicago on their College Road Trip.

juniors are in the unique position of being the
pilot group in nearly all of our endeavors. This
semester was no exception. ACT Prep and
Accountability Groups were the name of the game!
Every Wednesday, the 11th grade scholars meet
for an hour to complete weekly lessons within the
BHGH sponsored Prep Me ACT course.
Additionally, scholars participate in Accountability Groups once a month where they meet with mentors in small groups. Special thanks to BHGH board members Jack Cahill and Chris Miller along with BHGH volunteer Jim Meyer who diligently serve as our volunteer mentors. Within these groups the topics of professionalism, the importance of image, leadership, and financial literacy were discussed. They will continue to meet next semester, and the focus will include college selection and choosing a career.

Class of 2018
Add a description
Hope Prep 9th Graders show off the signs of encouragement they created as part of their service to the Ferguson Community.
One of several valuable characteristics included in our relationship with the Ferguson-Florissant School District is consistent access to the classroom. This semester we instructed a half credit college prep course for our 9th grade
scholars. The curriculum revolved around Stephen Covey's, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. The first three habits-Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind, and Put First Things First-were our main focus. Furthermore, students were
responsible for leading one Socratic Seminar, otherwise known as a Fishbowl Discussion, where they selected a current events article, wrote a two-paged summary, and facilitated a 30- minute discussion of the article.  Just in case you were wondering, all scholars successfully passed the class!

In addition to engaging in weekly T.O.P.(Teen Outreach Program) lessons, scholars also organized and completed their T.O.P. community service learning project, which consisted of creating posters that featured positive messages intended to inspire peace in the Ferguson community. 

We continue to be proud of the efforts and accomplishments of the Classes of 2017 and 2019 as the actively participate in the T.O.P. program, engage in a plethora of extra-curriculars, and take advantage of after school homework help. The new 8th graders had a fantastic debut semester, and have each already earned their coveted Hope Prep hoodie.
A Season of Giving Thanks

 

Once again this year, the holidays revealed the depths of the thoughtful care and generosity that support our scholars and the BHGH family. Thanks to the efforts and gifts of many, the scholars enjoyed celebrating with their housemates, classmates, and mentors. Laura Wasson and the team at Tech Electronics made it possible for the residential scholars to have a special Christmas party, complete with gifts from Santa, and meal volunteers put in extra effort to ensure that we were amply supplied for our Thanksgiving Feast and that many scholars could take left-overs home to their families.

 

In the midst of receiving such meaningful gifts, the scholars took their own initiatives to give to others. Our November YES (Youth Empowerment Seminar) Program event focused on creative community service. Residential and Hope Prep scholars made blankets that they later helped deliver to cancer patients through the Fleece Angels Project. Additionally, all scholars were given a $5 challenge for the month--to use the $5 we gave them as creatively as they could to help someone else. 

 

Many ideas followed: One of our girls used the money on supplies for a charity bake sale, others bought lunch for kids without lunch money, got flowers for a funeral, took someone out to ice cream to say thanks, and several created a plan to pool their money to make sandwiches for the homeless.

 

The Residential Scholars also took advantage of the opportunity

 to adopt a family through Loyola Academy and participated in the entire process from choosing gifts to wrapping and delivery. Witnessing their willingness to jump in and serve others in a multitude of ways was an encouragement throughout the season, and the experiences were a palpable reminder to each of them that they always have something to give.

 Welcoming Our New Teammates!

Caitlin (top), Ali (middle) & Rachel (bottom)

While we have said farewell to some longtime and valued members of our team over the past few months, we have also been thrilled to welcome three phenomenal new staff members to the BHGH family!

 

Caitlin Bone recently moved to St. Louis from Brooklyn, NY and started as our Community Resource Coordinator through AmeriCorps in October. Before Boys Hope Girls Hope, Caitlin worked in community advocacy and organizing with UniteHere! and Women's Housing and Economic Development Corporation in the Bronx. Caitlin is really excited to be a part of the BHGH family and to continue her year of service with our community!

 

Ali Vlahos, our newest Live-In Residential Counselor at Girls Hope, has dedicated her career, education, and volunteer efforts to reaching out to adolescents and college students and mentoring them in regard to life skills and developing action plans for their futures, focusing on their individual circumstances and development. A certified teacher with a Master's in English, Ali is the founder and director of Writing the Wrongs, a creative writing workshop for incarcerated youth. We are thrilled to benefit from her wealth of knowledge and experience and to witness the meaningful relationships she is already forming with the scholars.

 

Rachel Bene has taken on the role of Development Manager in the BHGH office. Previously, Rachel worked in the finance industry, most recently in tax credits and prior to that in real estate and personal wealth portfolio management. Rachel earned her Masters in International Business from Saint Louis University and her BA from the University of Notre Dame, and she has spent time doing service abroad in different capacities. She is very happy to be at BHGH, working toward a great cause and serving others here in her hometown of St. Louis. 

Shop to Support BHGH

Ready to fill your closet with spring and summer apparel? Mr. Guy Men's and Women's Stores on Clayton Road is partnering with Boys Hope Girls Hope on Saturday, February 21.  10% of all sale proceeds will be donated to BHGH.  Additionally Mr. Guy will be adopting a graduating college scholar and outfitting them with "interview attire". Thank you Mr. Guy!
 
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Connect to us through Amazon Smile 
here, and select us as your charity of choice. When you make purchases through smile.amazon.com, a portion of the profit will be given to Boys Hope Girls Hope. See site for further details. 
Get Involved!

 

Provide a Meal for the one of the homes. This is a vital help to our residential staff and a wonderful treat for scholars! To sign-up on our Care Calendar, contact Caitlin Bone for instructions. 

 

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   Call: 314-692-7477
       Mail To: 755 S New Ballas Road, Suite 120
St. Louis, MO 63141