Happy New Year!

Dear Friends,

As Houses of H.O.P.E. counts our blessings for the New Year, we are so grateful for the way you’ve personally invested in helping families thrive. You are a gift to this ministry and we can’t thank you enough.

In 2009 Houses of H.O.P.E. helped transform the lives of many people. Below are a few of the highlights:

Many families here on the Virginia Peninsula would have spent the year and the holidays hungry. With your financial support a total of 3118 children, adults, and seniors were fed in 2009. That is an increase of 2209 from last year. Special thanks to one couple who donated a freezer to help us store food. Matthew 18:5 “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.”

25 children were supplied with backpacks filled with school supplies and $125 gift cards to Wal-Mart for school clothes.

Teen Challenge was provided with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. They were also provided Christmas gifts and activities to do over the winter break (movies, meals, etc.).

Men’s Youth Challenge was provided food in both November and December.

Women’s Youth Challenge was provided with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner as well as Christmas gifts and $25 Wal-Mart gift cards. We refurbished the guest bathroom and are now working on 5 other bathrooms, as well as providing miscellaneous daily essentials. Special thanks to a young 5th grader who asked her parents to use the money they were going to spend on her to instead help restock the Women’s Youth Challenge foods!

Avalon was provided with Christmas gifts for the women and children. Throughout the year we provided food, supplies, gas cards, birthday parties, and apartment makeovers. We even completed a total makeover of the transit shelter! Thanks to a group of men who worked with us this season, the children received a Wii console, 4 wii-motes, and games and are having the time of their life!

Despite the current economy, we are still seeing God’s faithful hand of blessings on this ministry.

Thank you so much for your support. We have seen first hand how your generosity has strengthened and encouraged many families. Please know how deeply grateful we are for your faithfulness to this ministry. May you and those you care about experience the greatest blessings in the 2010 year.

Serving God’s People,

Wanda Smith

Special thanks to the following for their continued sponsorship: Abba Construction, Calvary, County Grill, TowneBank, and Water’s Edge Church.

Galatians 2:10 "Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do."

Matthew 25:35 "For I was an hungered, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in:"