If 2020 and 2021 were the years of the journey, the time of working the soil and preparing a place, then I am confident that the year 2022 will be the year we celebrate the journey, the year we get to welcome people into the place we have prepared!
As I, Natalie, sat down to write this blog to wrap up 2021 I decided to look back to my December blog in 2020. I titled the blog Beauty in the Journey and talked about the purpose in the Journey, the getting there not the end, the race not the finish line, the restoration not completion, and as I think back to the beginning of 2021 we at One Hope 27, have truly been on a beautiful Journey!
In the beginning of 2021 we purchased a home to house up to 4 moms who are working towards reunification! This in itself was a huge celebration for us and because of the kindness and faithfulness of so many we were able to purchase the home in full with cash!
Move forward a few months and we “hosted” our first 5K! This was also a great success with so much community involvement and sponsorship. We are so excited for next year’s 5K and to hopefully run it in person with all of you and celebrate together this journey and race you all have been on with us!
Throughout the year we were able to make so many amazing connections and invite so many new groups of people into our home and continue relationships with people we have already had a foundation with for years. Watching all of you help us clean the walls of bedrooms these moms will find safety in, as well as seeing you build the walls children will laugh and play with their mothers in, has been such a gift!
We have also been extremely blown away by God’s faithfulness and provision, not just in the hands that have helped us build, but also through those of you who have so graciously given financially. We received a handful of grants this year, added 3 new church partnerships, and over 20 new monthly donors!
Another highlight of this year was getting to host our first Banquet. This was a beautiful night of celebration with so many of you! We are so thankful for everyone who was a part of it from the volunteers to the sponsors and everyone in between! We are so excited for next year and beyond thankful that we sold out and packed out the venue that we’re looking for an even bigger space for next year!
We ended the year with a wonderful event that we hosted in partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks spearheaded by Mariah. This event blew us away in the best way and brought many happy tears and overwhelming joy to everyone who was there. We were able to bless more than 30 foster families in our community with a night of fun and gifts for all at One Hopeful Christmas!
The Journey God took us on this year may have looked different than we would have thought, and while we hoped to open the home in 2021 we are so thankful for the other events we were able to host, relationships we made, and people whose hands and feet entered the home and built up the foundation for the space we will be welcoming moms into in 2022!!
Charonne and I feel blessed to get to spearhead this mission and be a dynamic duo, but we need and appreciate all of the backing, support, prayers, finances, and encouragement you all bring!
If 2020 and 2021 were the years of the journey, the time of working the soil and preparing a place, then I am confident that the year 2022 will be the year we celebrate the journey, the year we get to welcome people into the place we have prepared!
Year 2022 is about combining our journey to this home, with the journey of so many young mothers and their children! So let’s continue to celebrate the journey we are on and the beautiful journey of restoration we will join others on in 2022! Thank you for everything, we can’t wait to continue this journey with you and open the home in 2022!!
Tangible ways you can get involved:
Giving – in 2022 we will have more expenses as we run the home, higher more staff (so exciting) and continue supplying bags to families with foster children. Whether you’d like to do a year end gift or join us as a monthly supporter you can do so here!
If you’d rather purchase tangible items we are still in need of some things for the home which you can find here!
Volunteering – In order to open the home we need to finish the home! We will be looking for painters, cleaners, and those of you with an eye for decorating in early 2022! Whether you’re a single gal, a family of 5, or want to bring in your coworkers we’d love to have you! Once the home is open we will be looking for weekly dinners to be supplied to the house as well as drivers and mentors for our moms! Be sure to follow us on social media to stay in the know!
Prayer – Last, but definitely not least we appreciate all your prayers and encouragement! This is what truly gets us through and helps us know we are not moving forward alone! You all bring so much encouragement through your support and your prayers are appreciated more than you know!