Hope & Healing
Exciting Van News!
An amazing thing happened at God's Heart of Hope! A lady named Heidi Huiskamp-Collins came by to visit and learn more about our outreach services to the community. She knew of our need for a box truck to deliver the thousands of pounds of food we pickup and distribute to needy families weekly. This amazing lady blessed us with $40,000 to purchase the truck!!! This is the largest gift we have ever received, and words just cannot express our sincerest gratitude!!! May God richly bless this kind and caring heart!!! God is so faithful when you give your service to Him!!!
Our Vision
Heart of Hope will revitalize Rock Island neighborhoods, provide opportunities that empower individuals to become self-sufficient, and equip future generations for success.
Our Work
Unity Point Health has awarded a $2,500 grant for our food pantry to purchase fresh, healthy produce for our clients!!!
Outreach Center
The outreach center is located at 1740 9th Avenue in Rock Island. Neighborhood youth are known to frequent HOH. Coming from African and Asian countries, many are refugees and have limited resources. HOH has been able to take these youth on educational outings and have donated laptops, bikes, school supplies, and clothing.
Food & Clothing
HOH offers a food pantry and clothing pantry to serve a community in need. The pantry hours are from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM on Thursdays for regular visitors.
From 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM over 65 and the disabled are served.
Since its inception, the food pantry has provided over 128,000 pounds to over 37,000 individuals. The growth in the pantry has helped fill an important community need.
Heart of Hope saw a 34% increase in usage of our Food Pantry in 2019.
The poverty rate in Rock Island is 19.8%. That's 1 out of 5 residents live at or below the national poverty rate. The poverty rate across the State of Illinois is 13.5% so Rock Island is significantly higher than most cities in Illinois! 38.4% of this number consists of children under the age of 6! Another 38% is made up of residents over the age of 60%. That's why we see people lining up outside our doors to come in to receive food!!!
Adult Services
Our adult services provide a number of benefits. We are working hard to grow these services to reach those in need of employment, housing, and other basic living needs. We have training in resume development and connecting community resources. Continuing to meet the needs of the most vulnerable is always top of mind at HOH Outreach.
The Rauch Family Foundation 1 has awarded us a $2,500 grant!
The Doris and Victor Day Foundation has awarded a $5,000 grant to Heart of Hope!
The QC Community Foundation through the Amy Helpenstell Foundation has awarded us a $40,000 grant!
About Heart of Hope
The vision for Heart of Hope was given over 30 years ago to founder Lynda Sargent, and the reality of the vision began to manifest in 2009 with one simple mission—to offer hope and healing to the hurting. It is a big bold idea inspired by HOH’s Founder and Executive Director Lynda Sargent, who created a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to serving her community. Her faith led her to “Launch into the Deep” in pursuit of genuine obedience to God, and Heart of Hope was born.
In 2009, HOH was granted the 501(c)(3) non-profit status. Ever since the Lynda has built upon earlier successes and has grown HOH into an organization that crosses denominational, racial, gender, age, and economic backgrounds, with one common factor to glue everyone together, to practice in our faith to help those who need. In 2013, we were blessed when Dr. Myron Fields donated a beautiful brick office building to HOH. That same year we opened a Food Pantry and Clothing Ministry.
Since opening we have experienced a steady increase in our outreach activities. In the first month we distributed over 500 food items to families. And numerous clothing and household items were provided. We offer a variety of services at the outreach center that include the food pantry, which has served 100,000 pounds of food to 20,000 community residents. Our afterschool programs providing nourishment to young minds and stomachs. We also offer a small computer lab and resource library. Residents can borrow Christian books, CDs, tapes and training materials. We have become a “Homes of Refuge” for those in need and we have worked with businesses to rebuild and restore the west-end neighborhoods of Rock Island. We provide assistance to the formerly incarcerated and those who struggle with employment, economic, and empowerment opportunities.
Awards
HOH has picked up numerous awards over the years for excellence in its community service. In 2013, we received the Community Hero Organization of the Year Reward by the Community Caring Conference. The list of rewards include the 2013 Denkman Park Renovation, the NAACP of Rock Island Island County 2013 Religious Image Award, Gathering of Women Team 2015 “Black Treasure” award, and the Trinity College of Nursing and Health Science 2016 “Distinguished Leadership Award.
How did this start?
Learn the Hopeful Story of Lynda Sargent, HOH Founder and Executive Director.
Invest in the Future
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HOH received a Grant from Community Foundation of the Great River Bend that led to the hiring of a professional Strategic Planning Research Consultant. We then launched “OPERATION INCREASE” with a focus on developing our strategic outreach programs aimed at strengthening our community business partnerships. Our goal is to bring in new job opportunities for Quad Cities underserved residents, especially those who come from backgrounds that include homelessness and incarceration. We hope to give a hand up that includes more than bags of food and clothing!
Featured Sponsors
Heart of Hope Outreach Ministries wishes to express our Sincere Appreciation to these Organizations for their Financial Support and Grant Awards
The Rauch Family Foundation 1
©2017 Google LLC, used with permission. Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google, LLC.
Heart of Hope Outreach is a recipient of a Google Grants award. The Google Grants program supports registered nonprofit organizations that share Google's philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy and the arts. Google Grants is an in-kind advertising program that awards free online advertising to nonprofits via Google AdWords.
Office Hours
Office hours are from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, closed Friday.
Youth Outreach Ministry is on Wednesdays from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm - ON HOLD due to COVID-19.
Food Pantry & Clothing Ministry hours are on Thursdays from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
Food Delivery to the Elderly (65 and older) and to the Disabled, Fridays between 10:30 am and 1:30 pm (must call the office before 2:00 pm on Thursdays to be placed on the Delivery Schedule for the following Friday)
Need help and you live outside the Quad Cities? Want more information to make healthier choices? FindFoodIL from the University of Illinois will help you find locations for free food, help with diet, exercise, saving money while shopping, and more.
CONTACT US
Media Inquiries
For media inquiries, please call: (309) 428-4752
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