Spreading Hope in 2020

This year, single mothers of Middle TN needed our support more than ever before. The first quarter of 2020 saw a rare tornado strike parts of Nashville with fury, damaging homes and businesses, disrupting communities and displacing families without warning. This crisis was followed by the onset of a global pandemic, which resulted in an economic shut down, further distressing the "she-roes" single moms that are the backbone of our community. Yet, with the generous support of people like you, Hope Station has been able to spread hope by supporting more mothers and their families than ever before.

We have endeavored to be good stewards of the financial support we’ve received. Spurred by the two unprecedented crises that struck our community, Hope Station was able to secure and distribute much-needed disaster relief and aid to nearly THREE TIMES the number of families that we have assisted in previous years!

Impressively, our Executive Director Quintina Waller was able to process a record number of applicants this year, validate applicants' eligibility and disburse funds to those at risk of homelessness or utility shut-off within 48 hours of application! As a single mother herself, Quintina knows how critical a quick turnaround is when landlords are threatening eviction, or when the utility company is demanding that all past due balances be brought current. This situation was exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, when children have been required to learn remotely, and if utilities are shut off, kids would no longer have access to broadband for distance learning. Quintina has experienced the stress of working paycheck-to-paycheck, and she has delivered for Hope Station clients in a significant way during this vulnerable time.

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I had taken a leave of absence from work about 2 months ago to deal with a lot of things I was struggling with mentally and emotionally. In turn, that caused me to fall behind on my bills, but it saved my sanity when you all helped me with my rent last month. Last night, I laid in bed after I put my kids to sleep, and cried and prayed that God would just work things out for me and make it easier. This morning, Ms. Quintina called me and told me that she wanted to pay my rent for the rest of the year, and that broke me all the way down. I am so beyond grateful. Words cannot express my gratitude. God bless all of you and your families at the Hope Station. You don’t understand what you've done for me. — K.R.

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I would like to start off with thanking Hope Station for helping me in what was almost a start of a really challenging year for me. I had just recently lost my job, and was not scheduled to start my current job until almost 2 months after I lost my former job. The assistance I received came right on time, and really lifted a heavy burden off me. And for that, I am forever grateful for Hope Station. They are truly a blessing to the Nashville community. — S.T.

At the Board level, our priority has been to expand the depth of support that Hope Station can offer to its clients, beyond exclusively one-time financial assistance, to include mental health and wellness services, as well as financial literacy and empowerment. To that end, we have partnered with the non-profit foundation Healing Trust to make counseling with a licensed mental health professional available to Hope Station families. Counseling services are typically billed at $85-120 per hour, however, thanks to the generous support of Healing Trust, Hope Station families are eligible to receive up to 8 counseling sessions at no charge. Such support is critical when levels of stress, anxiety and depression are at all-time high levels, and our single mothers are often the last to ask for help. This will be a much-needed emotional lifeline for them and will preserve their dignity.

We have also partnered with Allstate Foundation's Purple Purse Project to provide financial empowerment education to Hope Station clients, so that they may improve their credit scores, create savings, and someday be able to fund their own or their child's college education, or purchase their first home. With this type of guidance and support, Hope Station hopes to not only address a short-term crisis for a family, but to help mothers formulate strategies for success and long-term financial security!

Brand New Grant Funders of Hope Station — 2020

Center for Disaster Philanthropy -

$20,000

Community Foundation -

$80,000

(1st time funding at this level)

United Way -

$648,000

Metropolitan Development & Housing Agency -

$100,000