House of Hope
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27
Our Heart:
To remove barriers for children in foster care who are awaiting placement in a loving and safe environment.
To support Dept. of Children’s Services (DCS) staff who oversee children in foster care on a daily basis.
To be a resource for local foster families.
Our Purpose:
There are over 1,500 children in Tennessee DCS custody within our Mid-State region; over 200 of them are from Lincoln County and four nearby counties (Bedford, Coffee, Marshall, and Moore). House of Hope serves all of these children plus any children from other Tennessee counties that were a part of our former South Central DCS region. House of Hope provides a comfortable, safe home environment as they wait for foster placement. Youth staying at House of Hope enjoy and receive a comfy bed, home-cooked meals and snacks, new clothes and laundry services, opportunities to shower and receive lice treatments if needed, a Backpack of Hope, comfy furniture to watch TV, a basketball goal and privacy fenced in backyard with swing set, and friendly, certified volunteers who interact with them, from playing board games to teaching them how to cook.
Our Need:
Funds are needed to operate House of Hope, so we can continue serving youth from Lincoln County and counties throughout our Mid State DCS region.
Online donations can be made here on our website on a one-time or recurring basis. Be sure to select “House of Hope” in the Select a campaign drop down menu!
If you want to bypass the online processing fees, checks can be written payable to Always Endure with House of Hope on the memo line and mailed to P.O. Box 904, Fayetteville, TN 37334.
We also need individuals to sign up to deliver dinner when youth are staying at the house as well as in-kind donations, such as new blankets, non toxic cleaning supplies, and toiletry items.
Our Story:
In late 2022, two of our advisory board members approached us with a need for transitional housing for youth in foster care. They had been foster parents and knew firsthand the needs for youth in state custody. We committed to pray to see if the Lord willed for us to expand our organization by opening a transitional home. After praying for six months, the Lord answered our prayers with an open door to move forward.
As we continued to pray, the Lord began to move to bring House of Hope to fruition. We prayed for land if the Lord desired for us to build, and the Lord answered when a local church sold us land for $1.00. We prayed for a local builder to donate his time because he was passionate for kids in foster care, and the Lord answered by moving a local builder to donate his time because of his passion for these kids. We prayed for the Lord to provide all of the funds and materials to build the house, and the Lord answered by moving businesses, churches, and individuals to donate funds and discount/donate labor and supplies. We prayed to be debt free by the time the house opened, and we were by the time we opened. We prayed for ongoing support as we cared for youth at the house, and the Lord has provided many churches, individuals, and families who help us meet the needs of youth through financial and in-kind donations, prayer, and volunteering. Literally every prayer we have prayed, God has answered for His glory.
The youth we serve have endured much trauma. Some youth arrive on suicide watch or with a runaway risk - some were just removed from their home or are in-between foster placements due to a disruption in their care. We have celebrated a youth’s birthday and provide each youth with special moments and memories throughout their stay with us. Ultimately, we’ve provided every youth HOPE through meeting their needs and showing them the love of Christ.
Volunteering:
Please complete our volunteer form as the first step to volunteer with the youth staying at House of Hope.
*** Our Board of Directors has discretion on who volunteers with our organization, including those who have completed the required DCS volunteer training to serve at House of Hope.
Our Contact:
For more information, please contact Brittany Buckner at brittany@alwaysendure.com.
You may not be called to open your home as a foster parent, but you can support House of Hope through your prayers, financial gifts, in-kind donations, and volunteering.