Nov 27, 2023
This week Ivy Slater, host
of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Pam Hawn. The
two kick off the 2023 Nonprofit Series, and talk about what
inspired her to begin Hope 4 Community, what resources are on the
long list that they provide, and how they’ve made these offerings
achievable and scalable in every community.
In this episode, we discuss:
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What inspired Pam to begin Hope 4 Community, and how their mission is offering peace to parents along with so many goods and services for kids
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What resources are in the long list that they are providing to children
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How quickly she put the first Day 4 Hope together, successfully serving 200 children
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What they did to make these offerings achievable and scalable in every community
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How they have built a partnership piece with other nonprofits to be able to pour into them year-round and offer continued hope
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What Pam has does to build a brand of trusted relationships that benefits any/all communities involved
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How we can help, and look for local nonprofits doing similar things
Pam Hawn is the Executive Director of Hope 4
Community. She is a Wife and Mom with a huge heart for her
community. Throughout Pam’s life she has served with many
outreaches geared towards the homeless… growing up in New York,
developed Pam’s heart at an early age for the hurting and the lost.
Since moving to Florida in 1981 her passion grew to help those with
less. Pam continued being involved with organizations who shared
her same passion for the homeless. In spring of 2009 when our
economy was sluggish, Pam and her husband, Mark, recognized that
there was going to be a change of lifestyle. God laid on her heart
to remain focused even as it was getting harder for her and Mark to
provide for their three children, how were the parents in the
homeless community providing for their children?
In August of 2009 Day of Hope was birthed. A community outreach
project that would serve 200 homeless children with all the basics
to get ready for back to school. A project hosted by Pam’s home
church and offered completely free to the families, but would
require an army of volunteers and much funding. The project was a
huge success: with over 200 volunteers and over $25,000 raised a
Day of Hope was provided. Each preselected/prequalified child
received a medical exam, dental exam/cleaning and floss treatment,
resource for a free eye exam and reader glasses if necessary,
haircut, school and family portrait, new backpack filled with all
the needed school supplies, a care bag of personal care items, a
$50 gift card to Bealls department store for new clothes/uniforms,
a $25 gift card to Payless for new shoes, a personal safety id card
from the sheriff dept, etc... meals were provided throughout the
day and fun things to do like nail painting, interaction with the
police and their motorcycles, the local fire department brought an
engine and an ambulance. Many individuals and agencies were present
to share invaluable resources. It was a day that gave parents peace
and kids hope!
From there a connection was made and it was important to the Day of
Hope leaders to continue a relationship in the lives of these
children. A Day 4 Hope was not to be a one day / one touch event;
but rather the introduction to new formed relationships. Churches
are taking it past the day by inviting the families back for church
service, Sunday school, youth group, providing Thanksgiving dinners
and Christmas gifts… helping them move into better living
arrangements, helping with car repair and job searches… sponsoring
kids in sports programs and for holiday programs. The list goes on…
investing in the children; that’s what it’s all about. Making a
difference in the lives of these students.
A manual has been written in detail of how to do a Day 4 Hope and
distribution has gone out, even internationally. Many now are
sharing Pam’s heartbeat for the homeless children in their own
communities. "My personal dream would be to have a Day4Hope in
every community,” Pam states, "I live in a rich community, most of
us do… we live in a rich country. The idea that there are homeless
children breaks my heart. We look at third world countries and
sadly expect to see poverty, but in our own backyards when there is
such an obvious abundance of wealth and children are going without,
that is what stirs my holy discontent."
Website: https://hope4c.us/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hope4Communities
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hope4communities/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hope-4-communities/about/