Welcome to HOAP
We Believe In Helping Our Adolescents Prosper.
Our Mission
Our mission is to educate, empower, and nurture underserved youth and adolescents including young mothers (mothers-to-be).
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What makes HOAP unique?
Lakeshia Gilbert
Our ability to serve as a prevention and intervention educational resource where we educate youth, including young mothers 12-24 with the necessary life skills is what makes us stand out. Our devoted H.O.A.P support is focused on improving their physical, social, and emotional well-being, which provides an opportunity to break the cycles of poverty and create the pathway to a bright future.
Services
Our organization addresses and diminishes risky behaviors among youth & and adolescents, instilling positive lifestyle changes and making room for informed and healthier life choices through providing the following services:
Empowering educational workshops
Our empowering educational workshops for our youth take place both in school and remotely through our partnerships with Grand Rapids Public Schools, Kentwood Public Schools, and the Kent County Juvenile Detention Center. Workshops for our young mothers are offered virtually and in person. Every month we upload educational videos to our YouTube channel. Our young mother's program, Parentpreneuer provides a 6-week series of workshops around the same three pillars tailored to fit their needs.
Transportation support
Moms on Wheels provides our low-income mothers and their children access to safe, trustworthy, affordable, and reliable transportation to get to and from their non-emergency appointments including, school, work, and grocery shopping. Moms on Wheels is a solution to a problem. Moms on Wheels increases health & and wellness, employment, early learning opportunities, and education completion among our HOAP moms and and their children. Overall, this program positions young mothers to prepare for the pathway to sustaining permanent housing.
Assistance with their basic essential needs
Our dedicated service is designed to provide crucial support to young mothers who may be facing challenges in meeting their basic essential needs. We understand that the journey of motherhood can be overwhelming, especially for young moms, and our goal is to ease the burden by offering assistance in essential areas to ensure a healthy and nurturing environment for both mothers and their little ones with hygiene items, toiletries, diapers, and formula.
our vision
HOAP's vision is to ultimately develop youth & adolescents into introspective thinkers and resilient young adults through coordinated community mobilization, staunch advocacy, and mentorship. Maximizing young people’s potential so they can sustain enriching and self-fulfilling lives.
our purpose
What makes HOAP unique is our ability to serve as a prevention and intervention educational resource where we educate youth, including young mothers 12-24 with the necessary life skills. Our devoted H.O.A.P support is focused on improving their physical, social, and emotional well-being, which provides an opportunity to break the cycles of poverty and create the pathway to a bright future.
OUr Programs
01
Parentpreneuer "The Business of Being a Parent"
This is strategically designed to prepare young mothers ages 18-24 for the pathway to permanent housing by educating and equipping each one with the necessary skills and staunch support to sustain stable housing. This is an ongoing effort to reduce homelessness and its high rate of recidivism and increase the physical, social, and emotional well-being of young families while breaking the cycles of poverty-stricken lifestyles.
02
Moms on Wheels
Moms on Wheels provides our low-income mothers ages 18-24 and their children access to safe, trustworthy, affordable, and reliable transportation to their non-emergency appointments including, school, work, and grocery shopping. Moms on Wheels is a solution to a problem. This program increases health and wellness, employment, early learning opportunities, and education completion.
03
The HOAP IMPACT
This program serves as an Innovative Motivating Platform to Assist low-income minority youth ages 12-17 in the community through a Collaborative effort with Trusted support to implement culturally competent strategies that promote mental health including self-acceptance, coping skills for anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, creative outlets for stress, and building strong interpersonal relationships and networks of support (socially and within the family).
04
Ambassador Mom
The ideal mom is aged 25-35 with lived experience as a teen/young mom who overcame various obstacles and achieved success. HOAP Ambassador Moms serve as advocates, assist with program marketing & promotion, recruit new moms, assess program demands, and provide feedback, advice, and assistance with program tasks and events.
05
HOAP Volunteer
HOAP's vision is to ultimately develop youth & adolescents into introspective thinkers and resilient young adults through coordinated community mobilization, staunch advocacy, and mentorship. Maximizing young people’s natural potential so they can sustain enriching and self-fulfilling lives. We encourage the participation of volunteers who support our mission and are willing to contribute.
06
HOAP Intern
Joining HOAP as an intern means embarking on a journey to uplift underserved youth and adolescents, including young mothers-to-be, through education, empowerment, and nurturing. It's an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on their lives while gaining valuable experience and skills in community outreach and support. As a member of the HOAP team, you'll have the chance to contribute to positive change and help create brighter futures for those who need it most.
resources
At HOAP, we are committed to providing resources for those in need. Please take a look below to see a list of resources we offer to support our community's mental health and wellbeing.
