“Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change. Kindness that catches us by surprise brings out the best in our natures.” Bob Kerrey. The amazing non-profit Home Start Hope in Webster, New York embodies actions of kindness by helping women and children transitioning from homelessness to independent living by providing free essential household items. I had the joy, and honor, to talk with Kristin Mathis, founder, President, and CEO of this special organization.
“Our story begins with our women – each of them unique, yet each of them are in need of some help. The more women we meet, the more we realize that they are not that different from us. They may have taken a wrong turn in life, or fallen down…but we all fall down and take wrong turns. Having somebody there to help you get back up makes all the difference.” Home Start Hope
In 2008 Kristin, who lives in a suburb of Rochester New York, was an empty nester and looking for ways to help her community. She joined the Junior League of Rochester. Part of joining and volunteering was to develop a community service project. Kristin met with a representative from the Bethany House in Rochester. She learned that women and their children can stay at the Bethany House for 45 days and then transition into permanent housing. When women and children move into housing they do not have household items. This struck a chord with Kristin. It bothered her that these women and children, who were going through hardships, would move into housing with minimal, if any, basic household items. She developed the idea of a Housewarming Party. Kristin and the other Junior League provisional members decided to ask friends and family for donations of household items which they could give to the women at Bethany House along with making them a nice dinner and visiting with the women for the evening. It was an incredible, life changing experience. Due to the generosity of people donating household items there were so many items that Bethany House didn’t have room to store all the items. Kristin was able to secure a place to store the items. When a woman was ready to move out of the Bethany House, they would provide a list of things needed, Kristin would select the items and deliver them. That inventory of items lasted for nine months, helping many women and children settle into new homes.
“Home Start Hope supports women and children in their transitions from homelessness to independent living.” Home Start Hope
The Housewarming Party project got the ball rolling. Kristin decided to start a non-profit. In 2009 Home Start Hope was legally formed. They began a referral process with the Bethany House to help women and children. Wish lists were developed including details such as the ages of the children. A decision was made to accept only new items. Volunteers would come to get the household items and deliver them. For a few years a gala provided needed financial support. Relationships with other community partners were developed and Home Start Hope began providing household items for women and children at other agencies. There is a great need for household items in the Rochester community. Home Start Hope wanted to do all it could to help. Their growth continued as they touched, and helped, more lives. Around 2017 the Home Start Hope team wanted to do more. They wanted to have a place where women could personally come and pick out the household items they wanted, choosing items that reflected their personalities and needs.
“Supporting women and children in their transitions from homelessness to independent living by providing access to brand new, essential household items free of charge.” Home Start Hope
The search began to find a home, a place and space, for these special women to come to and shop. A home that fit the needed requirements including lots of space and near the city of Rochester was purchased, renovated and ready to go. Home Start Hope works with twenty referring organizations and is strictly referral only. Three days every week in 30 minute increments women come to shop, for free, with a Home Start Hope volunteer. Kristin mentioned that often women are hesitant to take more than a few things, needing encouragement from the caring, supportive volunteers to select all the household items they can use. These brave women who have experienced so many hardships are celebrated with kindness, compassion, and all the free new household items they need.
“Home should be a sanctuary, a place of shelter, love, and safety. However, for many families in Rochester this is not the case. Many women find themselves homeless because of domestic violence, illness or addiction issues, just to name a few.” Home Start Hope
“Tablescapes for Hope” is a yearly fundraising event benefiting Home Start Hope where professional designers design gorgeous tablescapes that are displayed on tables at a luncheon. This year’s theme is Happily Ever After where designers are designing a table in the theme of their favorite children’s book. Home Start Hope is a small non-profit that needs, and utilizes, financial support from a multitude of sources to do the work they do. A robust and dedicated Board of Directors, along with a group of dedicated volunteers, work with love and honor to help these women furnish their homes and sanctuary for themselves, and their children, as they are rebuilding their lives. Recently someone reached out to Kristin who had furniture to help furnish their homes. She shared an experience where a mom and her six children did not have a kitchen table, no beds, no dressers, because they had nothing. Between the donations from this person along with donations from the community this mom and her children were given beds, dressers, a kitchen table and other necessary furniture items. The excitement of the children and their mom at having items many of us take for granted left a giant heart print on everyone involved.
We are thrilled to shine the Kindness Champion Spotlight on the remarkable Home Start Hope in Rochester New York. Where the vision, and mission, of founder Kristin Mathis has supported over 1,000 women to create a sanctuary for their families. Mahatma Gandhi said “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Kristin Mathis and everyone involved in Home Start Hope is finding themselves by empowering women and children by giving them hope for a better future. The need is great to help more women and more children. Home Start Hope is working on doing everything they can to help. We thank you for being you and giving your awesomeness to the world.
For more informational about the remarkable Home Start Hope here is their information:
Website: https://homestarthope.org/
Instagram: @homestarthome https://www.instagram.com/homestarthope/
Facebook: @HomeStartHope https://www.facebook.com/homestarthope
YouTube: @HomeStartHope https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEWBxHsSaJEeUxLLZNob3Pw
