Hope for Hurting Families, Inc.
About the Organization in the Words of Our Founder
Hope started about 50 years ago at Evangel Temple’s (now Evangel Cathedral) Rhode Island location in Washington, D.C. I was in the middle of turmoil in my life and marriage. I felt like it was all too much for me. My kids were in danger and out of control, and my husband, whom I thought was losing his mind only to finally find out the truth by accident, was a drug addict. I was at the end of my ropes, about to call it quits.
When I discovered that my husband was addicted to drugs, I decided to attend Al-Anon sessions. I only went to two sessions, because one, it was not Christ-based, and second, the clients were allowed to use foul, abusive language. I did listen and took note of their principles. God gave me a vision to do the same, which is to address people with issues of drugs, alcohol, and abuse based on Christian principles.
I then wrote a proposal and presented it to the Presbytery of Evangel. It was approved with uncompromising restrictions; the ministry had to remain confidential. We were located in a room on the side of the church with a private entrance only used for Hope. Putting God first, along with confidentiality, were the foundational principles that Hope was built on. Strong adherence was a must else the ministry would be shut down.
My husband and I led the meetings, even though he was still battling his drug addiction. We always ministered from the Bible and the people were receptive to us both. There were people from all over, not just from Evangel. Our meetings were at 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM weekly, which extended to 10:00 PM. The meetings even started spilling over onto the streets of Rhode Island Avenue, and sometimes to 12:00 AM.
In the beginning the meetings were about dealing with drug, alcohol, and child abuse. Expeditiously they grew to address other areas such as demon possession, homosexuality, witchcraft, and spousal abuse. All walks of life came through the doors of Hope. We never limited entry to only Evangel’s congregation.
The ministry moved to Upper Marlboro, Maryland, when Evangel relocated. The crowd seemed to diminish, but we encouraged all that stayed to pursue further education in counseling to better serve God’s people. All the time we continued to minister to the people’s needs, assisting them in housing, clothing, food supplies, and seeking employment. We also instructed those in need of life and parenting skills.
Hope now has a Board of Directors. We are now under the umbrella of the The Shepard's House International Christian Church. We have finally established Hope officially as a community-based ministry, going beyond the walls of the church and stretching forth to the world, just the way God so designed Hope to be.