Reflections on the New Hub of Hope

Angie Lewis, Program Manager at the Hub of Hope, recently shared some very positive outcomes and inspriring reflections from the engagement center's first two months of operation. You can download the full outcomes report here.

On behalf of the entire team at the Hub of Hope, I wanted to share a snapshot of the Hub's first two months of operations. Before jumping into that, though, I'd like to share a few reflections.

When all of our social services staff were on-boarded, we had the chance to sit down and get to know each other a little bit, and talk about what the Hub—and what hope in particular—means to all of us. This is what we came up with:

• Hope is a virtue that has great depth.
• It's about positivity and looking forward to tomorrow.
• And believing tomorrow will be better.
• It's about getting back to yourself, and having faith. Every day.
• It's about forgiveness, and letting go of the hurt you once held so dearly.
• And holding, instead, the truth that death is no longer more promising than life.
• It's about drawing on the hope that carries you, in order to help another person believe they can find it, just like you did.
• It is a daily process that each of us can choose to embrace, and share with those around us.

Our mission in opening the Hub's doors two months ago was to keep these truths at the forefront of everything we do each day. On January 31—our official opening—we welcomed nearly 250 people through our doors. With few exceptions, we now see between 325-375 people every singe day. And each day, our Reception team makes sure that participants get oriented to the space and find what they are looking for.

In just 8 weeks, our Case Managers and Peer Support staff—supported by the full Hub team—have had over 400 placements into shelters, Safe Havens, and other programs. For perspective, in the last 6 years of the Hub's operations, we had a combined total  of 1,429 placements.  

Our Hospitality team has helped individuals who haven't had the opportunity to bathe in months to get a change of clothes, shower, and leave the Hub in completely different spirits than when they arrived.

Our Peers have supported and encouraged individuals who have come in and said they are tired of being on the street, tired of using, and would like help. 

Our Living Room participants have been greeted with soft music, a cup of coffee, and a homemade breakfast cake each morning. One participant expressed, "There's too much stress in other places, but in the Living Room I can relax and work on things that are important to me."

Our Health Services team began seeing participants in March, and on numerous occasions have come to the aid of individuals who were experiencing serious medical concerns while on site, and fiercely advocated for their patients to receive the care they deserve.

And our volunteers and interns work alongside our staff to offer warm coffee and welcoming faces, good conversations, and the continuation of a community that started in a much smaller but equally impactful space years ago.

We hope you enjoy reading the first of many outcomes reports from the newly expanded Hub, and look forward to the better tomorrow that will come as a result of the countless moments we infuse with hope today.