It has been a challenging year, but it has also been a poignant reminder of the power of community.
Your gift of any amount this holiday season can help meet urgent short-term needs of our Scholars and their kiddos during these unprecedented times, and help them stay on track to long-term success and wellbeing. Our goal is to raise $75,000 before the end of the year, and thanks to fellow generous donors, your gift will be matched up to $25,000!
Hear more about the impact of the Generation Hope community from our Scholars:
“Generation Hope feels like having a huge boulder removed from your shoulders and being embraced by a group hug. It feels like home. Generation Hope gave my family a foundation. Now I have everything that I never had growing up. I am not struggling. I do not have to depend on government assistance or charity, and am making history for my family -- first to attend college and first to have a salary with benefits. Generation Hope Scholars remind me of a phoenix. Before the program we faced unimaginable hardships, but with Generation Hope we rise. Scholars are leaders in the community making an impact as entrepreneurs, artists, nurses, teachers, and more.” - Scholar Alumna, Jenifer
“Generation Hope has provided my family the stability we need. They have provided essential resources, opportunities to expand my professional network, resources to get my kids ready for kindergarten, and opportunities to share my voice and experience. It's an amazing feeling. I felt alone before this. I am now in a place where there is no judgement and I receive all the support I didn't even know I needed. I have made friendships in this program and it's a great feeling to be able to talk with someone who is going through the same rough patch as you are. It takes a lot to be so open and vulnerable, and I admire the courage our Scholars have to do that.” - Scholar Yoslin
Next year, we will continue to ensure that our Scholars and their children have the resources and support they need to thrive during these challenging times. Your support is critical. Since March, Scholars have been navigating college courses, at-home learning for their children, COVID-19 diagnoses, childcare gaps while being essential workers, and challenges like food insecurity, housing instability, and domestic violence. Our Mental Health Coordinator has seen a 30% increase in monthly sessions, and 25% of Scholars have lost work.
Knowing that so many of the challenges our Scholars face are rooted in systemic racism, we will also dig even deeper into our own racial equity work, ensuring that our programming creates equitable outcomes and applying a racial equity lens to all that we do.
We will also harness our lessons learned to launch new work to address the systemic challenges facing student parents by developing a policy and advocacy agenda and working directly with colleges and universities across the country to help them ensure that all of their student parents can thrive.
Your gift can help us power our life-changing work. You support is needed now more than ever.