Our vision is to free and equip men, women, and youth who are wounded, broken hearted and still in pain and suffering and make them whole again through the power and grace of God.

To see men, women and youth suffering from financial, educational, emotional or spiritual distress become fully empowered and equipped with the necessary resources to restore their lives.

To provide transitional housing, financial assistance, life skills training, faith-based counseling and support groups in order to holistically address the financial, educational, emotional and spiritual needs of men, women and youth in the state of Georgia and around the world.

House of Hope Outreach Ministry is a Non-profit (501) (c) (3) organization, founded in 1997 by Gloria Harrell, the owner of Mattress King. Gloria has overcome addictions, abandonment, abuse, depression, sickness, tragedies and loss of loved ones. She knows what it is like to be desperate and without hope. The power and love of God set her free and it is by His grace she walks. Through Gloria’s own trials and the loss of her sister in a drug-alcohol related accident, she came to realize that there was a great need in the Atlanta area for a program that would help adolescents, adults, and their families deal with these issues. With that in mind she set out on a path to make this happen.

House of Hope serves people from all walks of life, in the greater Metro-Atlanta area, who are dealing with drug addiction, domestic abuse, abandonment, teen prostitution, homelessness, and at-risk youth. Our belief is a more holistic approach is needed to address the issues involved with domestic abuse, addiction and homelessness rather than simply placing a band-aid on the outward manifestation of the problem. Therefore, we address the internal aspect of the problem as well. House of Hope has partnered with area churches and community organizations to provide a full array of support for each individual including; individual and group counseling, support groups, mentoring program, life skills training, job training, and aftercare. Our goal is to provide a solid base upon which to build lives; lives that will be self-rewarding and self-supporting, allowing them to become productive members of society.

An estimated 22 million Americans suffered from substance dependence or abuse due to drugs, alcohol or both in 2002, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. It has also been noted that illicit drug use is not confined to the poorer areas of our nation, but affects people of all income levels. House of Hope offers addiction education classes twice weekly. We currently employ one certified addiction counselor. We also utilize interns from Georgia State University to assist in facilitating group sessions as well as one-on-one counseling. As this program grows an additional counselor will be needed.

During the past seven years, House of Hope has successfully helped individuals on an outpatient basis through recovery education and is committed to impacting the community through additional avenues and strategic partnerships. In 2003 House of Hope in partnership with Perimeter Church opened the doors of its first Transitional Housing Program. The Transitional Housing Program is designed to assist single women and mothers with children in distressed situations.

Although other transitional housing programs exist, House of Hope’s transitional housing program is unique in that we focus on transformation of lives rather than just housing. Many of the individuals who require transitional housing have much greater needs than housing. They tend to lack the fundamental skills required for basic daily living and decision making. They also need restoration, guidance, and counseling. Providing housing for a limited period of time does not address the real problem, only by addressing the underlying issues that led these individuals to need transitional housing will we be able to place them back into society as productive individuals.

House of Hope currently operates the Transitional Housing Program for Women in partnership with Perimeter Church and Avonlea on the River Apartment Complex. Perimeter Church not only provides funding but has opened the door to a variety of resources available at the church such as, mentoring, counseling, discipleship classes, etc. Some of these women have absolutely nothing when they arrive. House of Hope works with area organizations and churches to supply the needed furniture, appliances, household items, clothing and food needed. It is our desire to build partnerships with additional churches in other areas to duplicate this program around the metro Atlanta area.

Lack of proper supervision and/or direction for youth has reached an all-time high, causing young people to experience low self-esteem, social isolation and difficulty in emotional and educational development. There are few positive role models or basic life and job skills available for at-risk youth. House of Hope wants to address this problem with an At-risk Transitional Housing Program. The addition of an At-risk Transitional Housing Program will require additional facilities to house the youth as well as funding.

At present, House of Hope employs four full-time individuals, an Executive Director, Director of Family Services, a Director of Housing and a Family Partner. The addition of an At-risk Transitional Housing Program would require the addition of a family partner, a part-time relief partner, counselor and case manager as well as an increase in workers compensation and property insurance.

House of Hope will continue its ministry in addiction recovery and transitional housing. While the primary focus of the housing program at this time is single women and mothers with children, as partnerships grow we plan to expand this service to at-risk youth as well. House of Hope will continue to develop partnerships with additional area churches and organizations, in the Metro-Atlanta area, to add more apartments, leverage resources already in place and maximize the impact of changing lives.

House of Hope utilizes volunteers in various capacities such as after school activities, tutoring, office assistance, mentoring, computer training, special events, etc. However, to successfully meet our financial needs, House of Hope relies heavily on voluntary funding to support its programs and services. Over the past several years our fund-raising efforts have been focused on an annual fundraising event and media. In 2004 House of Hope incorporated a direct mail campaign along with a plan to build donor relations in an effort to increase support. We will continue to pursue opportunities to enhance the programs already in place and explore other available avenues, such as grant writing.

House of Hope believes that by changing lives one individual at a time – man, woman, or child – we will break the cycle for generations to come. We will enable these individuals to gain the hope and skills they need to restore their lives by providing a holistic approach which includes biblically-based programs and an environment with a balanced blend of compassion and accountability.