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 A Vision of HOPE
For Those In Need
At the Community Hope Center everyday there are hurting families that are looking for jobs without any success. Millions of people from throughout the United States are being kicked off the welfare rolls only to find out that there are no jobs available for them or their families. If only food was more affordable!! Many come through our doors without having had any food to eat for over 24 hours.
In this land of plenty how can so many people be deprived? The truth of the matter is that they were never educated. Education is a KEY out of poverty. That is one part of the vision of the Community Hope Center to help educate people and give them a hand up into the work force. On the last Thursday of every month there are clients that are required to come to classes in order to receive the Centers help. This is a class that is geared for their individual needs. Subjects include; how to grocery shop, preparing inexpensive meals, looking for work, writing a resume, etc. Many clients have had the will to go to college and get a better education after attending these classes.
When a family comes through the doors of the Center they usually have to wait up to an hour for food because of the long lines for help. As they are waiting, they can take as many clothes, furniture, and household items, as they need. Their next visit is to the counselors’ office where they are offered prayer and bible counseling. As a direct result of the office visit over 300 people a year give their lives to Christ.
Without a heart change there can be no lasting life change and without Jesus Christ the heart cannot be changed! The salvation of souls is a main priority to the vision of the Center. Those who have given there lives to Christ in prayer seem to have life changes that remain with them and help their families also.
Seniors citizens really have it hard in our country. They have a hard choice to make! Do they eat or do they buy their medicine? This isn’t an easy choice to make for our countries seniors. When they come to the Center their only HOPE is to get enough food to live on so that they can buy their medicine. Everyday seniors lines up outside before the doors are opened. Many seniors come to us weekly for food assistance. The vision of HOPE for seniors is to go to their homes and help around their houses with the extra mile ministry. The Senior Home Enrichment Program was developed to do just that – go the extra mile and help seniors within their homes with jobs that need attention. We need volunteers and resources to help get this ministry started.
A great part of the vision of HOPE is to help children in whatever capacity that is available. Every year there is an annual toy drive, which helps hundreds of children from throughout southwest Illinois have a great holiday. New toys are collected all year long for those children who would need them in December.
The Women’s Hope Center is a crisis emergency shelter for homeless women with children. The pain and suffering of homelessness is only one of the many forms of child abuse. Young single women with children need the support of a whole community in order to help get them career skills, jobs, and affordable housing. Helping mothers care for those little children who cannot care for themselves is our vision of HOPE to the children.
The Community Hope Center was established in April of 1988 as a nonprofit corporation complying with all applicable laws and requirements of federal, state, and local governments. Our main and primary purpose is to help the poor, homeless, children, and the elderly in Illinois area with programs that meet their individual needs. The Center is solely supported by local businesses, foundations, private donations, and receives no state funding. It is self-supporting through its own philanthropy efforts.
The Community Hope Center is a full service crisis emergency center that provides diverse programs which are offered free of charge to those who are less fortunate. Each program is designed and implemented to help families out of their crisis situations. In Madison County there are thousands of local people who do not have health care.
Working with a local doctor, who recently retired, Dr. Ron Schroeder, the Community Hope Center has opened a free medical clinic. Dr. Schroeder is keeping his license active and is able to write prescriptions. He donates his time to make this available to the less fortunate every week.
Many seniors have expressed what a relief it is to have a place to go locally to be seen by a doctor who can fill their prescriptions. The Community Hope Center helps over 2500 people a month with free food, clothing and furniture. Since the “Public Aide Reform Bill” of 1998 the Center has seen the amount of people who come to its door triple. Those who need the free assistance in order to eat well are seniors, unemployed and handicapped individuals. Many of these individuals have expressed to us their need to see a doctor but where unable to pay for the visit to one. This is why the Community Hope Center, along side of Dr. Ron Schroeder, is currently active in establishing this free crisis medical clinic for those who are less fortunate and do not have insurance.
Every Thursday at 10 a.m. the Free Community Medical Center is opened with two nurses also volunteering to help the Dr. Schroeder with his work.
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