PREVENT HOMELESSNESS. PROMOTE SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND DIGNITY.

FAST FACTS

HISTORY

2003 - HOPE began as a merger of an onsite food pantry and a HUD transitional housing mentoring program with a mission to prevent homelessness and promote self-sufficiency and dignity.

2004 - In partnership with the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, HOPE’s pantry became the first Client Choice pantry in Baton Rouge.

2005 - After hurricanes Katrina and Rita, HOPE’s programs expanded to include an adult education component.

2009 - Community and corporate education workshops began. HOPE has educated over 3,500 people from across the state on the causes of poverty and its influence on how our communities look, feel, and act.

2019 - HOPE opened The Way to Work Learning Center, a state-of-the-art center including a client computer lab and two classroom/conference room spaces.

2020 - HOPE’s Client Choice Food Pantry opened Mr. Eddie’s Kitchen, a test kitchen offering its clients healthy, safe cooking demonstrations and tastings.

2021 - HOPE’s workforce development programs expanded to individuals in multiple areas of Louisiana including Pointe Coupee Parish and to corporate clients across Louisiana and Mississippi.

2022 - HOPE’s workforce development program partnered with hard-skills providers to offer opportunities for clients to earn licenses and certifications for higher-paying careers.

2023 - 20 Years of HOPE celebrations include an Iron Chef Competition in the Client Choice Food Pantry and Essential Jobs of BR, a series on WAFB highlighting the essential workers of our city. The celebration culminates in the 20 Years of HOPE Anniversary Gala in the fall.

Programs

  • Client Choice Food Pantry

    About 1,000 unique households representing about 3,750 individuals are provided supplemental food each year through HOPE's Client Choice Food Pantry. The grocery store setting creates an atmosphere of dignity by allowing clients to select food that meets their families' nutritional and health needs. Volunteers give referrals for other identified needs. Financial literacy, healthy living, and nutrition classes are also offered for those interested in moving forward. This program serves the 70805 zip code.

  • The Way to Work

    HOPE’s workforce development program, The Way to Work Sustainable Workforce SOLUTIONS©, helps people keep jobs, and companies keep people. The Way to Work helps employers and employees understand the relationship between life skills (including behavioral and social skills), job retention, and advancement. Career coaches assist participants by identifying issues that lead to crisis, contribute to instability, and cause barriers to employment success and creating strategies to overcome those issues. The Going Beyond Employees Achieving More© workshop series teaches participants new concepts, while class exercises help reiterate the lessons learned. Coaches help participants create a written plan of action identifying their path to success that becomes their road map to meet their goals successfully. The Way to Work serves the Greater Baton Rouge area.

    Understanding the Dynamics of Poverty© and Understanding Your Workforce© are professional development workshops for managers and supervisors, case managers, social workers, or anyone who wants to learn more about the impact of poverty on the community and the workforce. These workshops are held throughout Louisiana.

  • Community Partners

    HOPE/The Way to Work’s partnerships include financial support, workforce consulting services, and volunteers.

    As a volunteer organization, HOPE appreciates the service of over 250 volunteers representing a diverse group of people from local congregations, community service and social organizations, schools, businesses, and other places. Volunteers serve as intake coordinators, food pantry helpers, stockers, mentors, maintenance and administrative helpers, committee members, and board members. HOPE's success in serving the Greater Baton Rouge community is possible because of our dedicated volunteers.

    See the Fast Facts PDF below for a list of HOPE’s financial, volunteer, and community partners.

HOPE is a faith-based organization striving to transform our community in positive ways, live out Christian values, and fulfill our mission with trust, confidence and responsibility towards others. HOPE is deeply committed to serving our city, represented by our achievement of the voluntary Standards for Excellence certification, demonstrating commitment to established benchmarks and procedures used to measure management and ethical accountability in nonprofit organizations.