ArmsofHope.org - Arms of Hope

Page created by Sarah Knight
 
CONTINUE READING
ArmsofHope.org - Arms of Hope
Reaching
                   2021

     Generations

       ArmsofHope.org
ArmsofHope.org - Arms of Hope
Letter from the President and CEO
                             “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of
                             power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
                             				- 2 Timothy 1:7.
                             Dear Friends of Arms of Hope,
                             I want you to know that everyday this ministry does its
                             very best to live out the above scripture during times of
                             uncertainty and storms. Be confident that while living
                             through COVID-19, we’ve used sound mind to follow
                             guidelines, put in checks and controls, and used the
                             available information at hand. Be even more confident           RecycleForChildren.org
                             that our ministry walks in that spirit of power and love
                             and prays daily for God to crush the spirit of fear. Too          A great way to recycle
                             much is at stake for the hundreds of precious children
and single mothers on our campuses and cries from hundreds of families in des-                  your usable clothes,
perate need at our Family Outreach Centers for us not to step up and continue be-                   furniture and
ing the hands and feet of Jesus. Invaluable counseling and case management has                    household items
continued. Our children now more than ever need the love provided at our Learn-
ing Centers. Arms of Hope’s Family Outreach Centers in San Antonio, Houston,                   to help Arms of Hope.
Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton are responding to numerous needs of families
in extreme crisis. Our hearts cried out for them, God’s spirit of power and love
prevailed and we see such blessings arising from the storm! Despite COVID-19,                    Table of Contents
we’ve had graduations and breakthroughs in counseling, but the best news of              3    Making An Old House a
all…. we’ve had new followers of Christ. God took what the enemy had planned
for darkness and destroyed it with light! Your generosity to this ministry allows             New Home
us to try our absolute hardest to walk in this way and I thank you for your trust.       4    Arms of Hope Graduates
When I first began this journey as CEO, our Board Chair challenged me to come            7    Resident Spotlights
up with my hopes for this amazing ministry. I wrote that I wanted us to always           11   Thriving During the Storm
put the spiritual health of our residents (evangelism & discipleship) above all else,    13   Annual Report
even in times of fear and hardship. Please know that if you trust us with your gen-      19   Kamille Miller Story
erosity, your Return On Investment is that we will always strive to do everything
within our power to share the love of Jesus to our children, even during a storm.        21   Dallas Gala
As always, it is my joy to present to you the Annual Report. Fiscal Year 2020 has        23   Leeza Black Story
been a banner year for Arms of Hope, which shows that God is continuing to use           24   AOH is Thankful for Volunteers
this great ministry to bless those in desperate need of his love!                        27   AOH Happenings
                                                                                         29   Christmas Blessings
Sincerely,                                                                               30   Summer Camp and Interns
                                                                                         31   Bill Brown Legacy
Troy Robertson                                                                           33   Memorials & Honors
President & CEO                                                                          39   Heart for Teaching &
                                                                                              An Adoption Homecoming
 Arms of Hope is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Christian organization that
 was formed by the consolidation of Medina Children’s Home (est.
                                                                                         40   Fund-A-Need
 1958) and Boles Children’s Home (est. 1924). In addition to Arms of
 Hope’s residential facilities, Family Outreach Centers in San Antonio,                        View our
 Dallas, Denton, Fort Worth and Houston assist individuals and families
 in need throughout Texas. Arms of Hope offers residential and                               Arms of Hope
 outreach programs for children and single-mother families who are                              Video
 fleeing poverty, homelessness, abuse, neglect and human trafficking.
                                                                                                Join us on Facebook, Twitter,
                                                                                                   LinkedIn and Instagram

                                                                                         Help AOH by
                                                                                         donating today!
ArmsofHope.org - Arms of Hope
How can you help?
General Donations - All general donations support the programs of care provided by Arms of Hope and can be
one time gifts or can be scheduled to automatically recur monthly, quarterly or annually.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Honors & Memorials - Donations can be contributed as a memorial or to honor a friend or relative. The donor and
the recipient or family will receive an acknowledgement.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Gift-In-Kind Donations - Your gifts of gently used clothing and household items are either used in our programs or
sold, dependent on current needs. Proceeds from the sale of donated items help fund Arms of Hope programs. To
schedule a pick-up or identify drop-off locations, please visit RecycleForChildren.org.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Stock/Equity Gifts - Make a gift of stocks or equities and learn how you can gain even greater tax advantages with
these gifts.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Matching Gifts - Ask your employer to determine if matching funds are available. This is a great way to make your
gift go even further with no additional personal cost.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Planned Giving - Discover new ways to make a gift that also takes into consideration your personal circumstances
and the needs of your heirs including Wills, Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts and Charitable
Lead Trusts, etc. Explore the value of charitable gifts that require a little thought, but pay off in big benefits to you,
your family and Arms of Hope.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Scholarships - Many of the children and single-mother families we care for have the desire, ability and need to
further their education. You can help Arms of Hope make certain no one in Arms of Hope’s care is ever deprived of
quality education by providing funding for scholarships for our residents.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Sponsor a Child or Family in Our Care - Sponsorships may include Christmas gifts, a birthday surprise or simply
taking care of essential needs like clothing, food, school supplies and household items. Arms of Hope children and
families benefit immensely when you show you care by financially supporting the procurement of essential items.
Sponsorship programs are available for all giving levels.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Livestock Donations - Livestock may be processed for food or converted to cash.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Vehicle Gifts - Donate a running vehicle that is in good condition. We can use everything from cars and minivans
for the transportation of the children and families in our care to trucks and trailers for use in the maintenance and
upkeep of our facilities and operations.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Wish List - Check out our wish list at ArmsofHope.org for gift ideas based on our current needs including food,
personal care items, household furnishings and other essential items necessary for providing for the children and
families we serve.
ArmsofHope.org - Arms of Hope
Making an
    Old House a New Home

Two years ago, Arms of Hope started        homeless. I was pregnant with my fourth      all the tools I need to be successful and
the “Make a House into a Home”             baby and had a high-risk pregnancy. For      a better provider for my family!”
Capital Campaign. With children in our     months I stood in lines at food banks
Residential Child Care Program and         just to get enough food for us. I called     Ashton on the Boles Campus joyfully
families in our Together Program living    places and exhausted all resources just      says about his cottage, “It’s better than
in aging houses that were safe, but over   to make ends meet. I could not allow         any motel I’ve ever had to stay at!”
fifty years old, we needed to remodel      my kids to go hungry. When I learned
those houses into beautiful homes. This    about Arms of Hope while facing evic-        House Mom Jasmine states, “The brand
helped Arms of Hope show our resi-         tion, I remember thinking to myself          new home makes the kids feel loved
dents just how much they are loved and     that it was too good to be true. We          and appreciated!”
appreciated.                               went from a 1 bedroom/1 bathroom
                                           apartment to a beautifully remodeled         Thank you to our amazing supporters
With the incredible generosity of          3 bedroom/2 bathroom home. I will            for fulfilling the dream to “Make
individuals, private foundations and       never forget the day we arrived. That        a House into a Home” for those in
churches, we have completed $1.5M          night we cried happy tears. We’ve            desperate need of love and self-worth.
of this $2M campaign! Cottages             never been fortunate enough to live in
and single mother homes on both            such a beautiful home. Arms of Hope          If you would like to help us finish this
campuses now have updated flooring,        saved us. They have given me a second        worthy initiative by remodeling one
bathrooms, kitchens, plumbing, appli-      chance at furthering my education and        of our residences, please contact Troy
ances, windows, doors, paint, electrical   being successful in life! I’m going back     Robertson at trobertson@armsofhope.
systems and landscaping.                   to school to earn a teaching degree.         org. This is a return on your invest-
                                           AOH has helped us become more spiri-         ment of giving that you will be proud of
The Galindo family is a thankful recip-    tual. They’re setting us up for success.     for years to come. What a great way to
ient of this blessing. Krystel recalls,    It still feels surreal and is a dream come   leave a legacy!
“We were on the verge of becoming          true. This place is literally giving me
3   Reaching Generations
ArmsofHope.org - Arms of Hope
AOH Graduates

   Medina Campus High
   School Graduates

                                                                     Cherie
Boles Kindergarten Graduates                                                                                    Mia & Brittany

    River

                                            Congratulations to Cherie on the
                                            Medina Campus for completing her
                                            Bachelor’s Degree in Communica-
                                            tions!

                                                                                       Brittany
                                                                    Jalah              Brittany and her precious daughter
                                                                                       Mia have been loved by their AOH
                                            Jalah is a widow and mother of 11 year     family since the day they arrived on the
                                            old Angelina. She graduated Magna          Medina Campus. After years of incred-
                                            Cum Laude from the University of           ible hard work, Brittany is now a fully
                                            Houston with a degree in Psychology.       Licensed Vocational Nurse. “Arms of
                                            She found the Family Outreach Center       Hope helped me when I needed it the
  River graduated from Boles High           in 2016 after her daughter attended        most. They introduced me to God and
  School and is staying in the College &    VBS at Impact. Jalah gained money          were instrumental in helping me grow
  Career Program to attend Royce City       management skills, completed parent-       in my faith. I wouldn’t be the confi-
  Dental School. “Arms of Hope gave         ing classes along with spiritual support   dent Christian woman and mother I am
  me the home I never had,” stated River.   from our dedicated staff.                  today without AOH.”
                                                                                                        ArmsofHope.org        4
ArmsofHope.org - Arms of Hope
Congratulations to Arm
                                                                        Christy                               RJ
                                                                                                            Danielle

                                                Congratulations to Christy on the
                                                Boles Campus for completing her            RJ graduated from Medina High
                                                Phlebotomy Certification. She will         School and is now in the College

 Brittany
                                                now pursue her Registered Nursing          & Career Program pursuing his
                                                License and we are honored to walk         dream of becoming an EMT.
                                                along side this family while they

                                                                                           Abby
                                                pursue a better life.

Way to go Brittany on the Boles Campus
for completing her Associate’s Degree in
Business. She is now working towards her
Bachelor’s Degree at Texas A&M Commerce.

 Samantha
                                                                                           Abby graduated from Boles High

                                                                   Hannah
                                                                                           School and is pursuing her dream
                                                                                           of becoming a nurse. “Arms of
                                                                                           Hope is a caring organization and
                                                                                           they were always there for me
                                                So proud of Hannah on the Boles            when I needed help the most. I
                                                Campus who was awarded an                  wouldn’t be the young woman I
                                                internship at Supreme Lending in           am today if it weren’t for AOH,”
                                                Greenville. She is currently working       recalls Abby.
Samantha worked hard to complete her GED.       on a Business Technology certificate
                                                at Trinity Valley Community College
                                                and this internship will help her find a
                                                great job after she graduates.

                                                Delissya

                          Stephanie
                                                                                                           Brianna
Stephanie is a single mother of two at our
Denton Family Outreach Center. She works                                           Brianna graduated Salutatorian
full time, attended Texas Community College,                                       from Medina with a 4.0 GPA. She
and home schooled her children during the                                          has entered the College and Career
pandemic while progressing through our                                             Program and was accepted into the
program to the fullest. She obtained an Asso-   Congratulations to Delissya on the Honors Program at Schreiner Uni-
ciate Degree of Arts and will be attending      Medina Campus who graduated with versity where she will be playing
Texas Woman’s University in the fall working    her Cosmetology Degree from Milan softball and working on her teach-
on a bachelors degree.                          Institute in San Antonio.          ing degree.
5   Reaching Generations
ArmsofHope.org - Arms of Hope
s of Hope’s Graduates
                                            Shannel

                                                                                     Monica
                                                                                     Monica obtained her Master’s in Public
                                                                                     Health. She and her daughter came
                                            Shannel graduated from Medina            to the San Antonio Family Outreach
                                                                                     Center in 2016 while homeless. AOH
                                                                                     helped her financially during serious
                                            High School and is excited about
                                            pursuing her dream of becoming a
                                                                                     medical illnesses and provided case

                                              Bonnie
                                            nurse.
                                                                                     management, bill payment, counseling
                                                                                     and spiritual healing.

                                                                                                          Daniel
                        Janessa
 Janessa graduated from Boles High
 School and is remaining in the College     Bonnie obtained her GED and
 & Career Program. She is attending         driver’s license and finished cosme-
 Paris Junior College, majoring in Busi-    tology school. Her faith has grown
 ness. “Arms of Hope is the safest place    by attending church every Sunday
 that I’ve been. They have provided         and her children are thriving. Bonnie
 me so many great opportunities and I       said, “I am a better mother and Chris-   Daniel graduated with his Master’s
 always prayed for a home like this,”       tian because of Arms of Hope and I       Degree in Divinity. “I am who I am
 said Janessa.                              will be forever grateful!”               today because of those who poured
                                                                                     hope into my life, taking a broken boy
        To contact us about supporting our educational programs,                     and shaping him into a man of God,”
              please e-mail: Scholarship@ArmsofHope.org                              recalls Daniel.

                                            Elizabeth                                Kamille
  Ana

                                            Elizabeth was in our Residential Child
                                            Care Program and received support in
                                            college. She graduated from King’s
                                            College in New York with her Bach-
                                            elor’s Degree!
 Ana from the Denton Family Outreach                                                 Kamille came to Arms of Hope at 10
 Center graduated with her Associate of        Educational Accomplishments           years old, graduated from Medina High
 Arts. She and her two beautiful children            in Fiscal Year 2020             School, entered the College & Career
 have conquered mountains in multiple             8 High School Graduates            Program and has now graduated with
 areas. She has now transferred to Texas        15 GEDs & Educational Cert.          a Bachelor’s Degree from Texas Tech’s
 Woman’s University and is working on           1,529 completed college hours        School of Nursing in San Antonio. She
 her Bachelor’s Degree in Business. We              6 Associates Degrees             is a hero at Methodist Medical Center
 are so excited to celebrate this accom-            4 Bachelors Degrees              and we are so proud of her hard work
 plishment with Ana and her children.                 2 Masters Degree               and success!
                                                                                                      ArmsofHope.org 6
ArmsofHope.org - Arms of Hope
Resident
 “Arms of Hope has helped

                                                                                                 Spotlight -
 me become the best me! ”
 		-Olivia

                                                                                                      Olivia

  Residential Child Care Program

The best way to describe my life before        things worked and meeting new people        School. At school I love to play sports
Arms of Hope is a bit confusing. My            was tough for me, but after I settled in    like basketball, volleyball, and track, as
name is Olivia and I was adopted at age        a bit, I really started enjoying everyone   well as play in the band. I love to be
four from an orphanage in Nigeria.             around me and began building good           involved in as much as I can. School is
                                               relationships.                              a lot of fun for me.
Before arriving at Arms of Hope, I had
a hard time connecting with my family.         Some of my favorite people on campus        Today I am not as confused as I once
I would get into fights and made wrong         are my house mom and our campus             was. Arms of Hope has helped me
decisions. I can remember one time             director. I’ve really been able to be       become the best me! I’ve done really
when I stole a teacher’s phone from my         myself and discover who I am around         well at school and I get straight A’s.
school. I was getting in trouble all of        them. I’ve also found that talking to my    I’d really like to continue playing bas-
the time. It’s not that I was trying to        counselor is a good thing! Now I can        ketball and eventually want to go to
get in trouble, but I wasn’t trying to do      talk about my thoughts and how I feel.      college with a basketball scholarship.
the right thing either. I just felt lost and   AOH has helped me learn to enjoy the        I’d also like to be a coach someday. I
I couldn’t figure out my path.                 healthy and safe people around me, to       love playing so much and I just want to
                                               learn to have better relationships, and     help other kids play well and enjoy the
When I came to Arms of Hope, I felt            to be an overall better person. Next        game as much as I do. n
lost all over again. Figuring out how          year I’ll be in 8th grade at Boles Middle
7 Reaching Generations
ArmsofHope.org - Arms of Hope
Resident Spotlight - Salma

     “Coming here has been the
     greatest decision I have ever
     made in my life.” -Salma

                                                     College &Career Program

My dream when I graduated high             I worked during my junior and senior        Coming here has been the greatest
school was to attend college at Angelo     years of high school and tried to attend    decision I have ever made in my life.
State University, but sometimes unfor-     junior college, but working so many         AOH has brought me nothing but
tunate things in life happen. For me,      hours was just too much. I made the         peace, happiness, and most importantly
family problems occurred and finances      choice to quit school and went into         I have built an awesome relationship
wouldn’t let me follow those dreams.       a very dark place. At that point, my        with my parents and my one and only
                                           dreams weren’t just put on hold, they       Lord. I have met wonderful people and
My dad was diagnosed with renal            were over. Or so I thought!                 made awesome friends. Arms of Hope
failure as his kidneys were only                                                       has such loving and caring staff that
working at 5% when they are supposed       My sister told me about the Arms of         have become family. I am so thankful
to be at least at 50%. He would need       Hope College & Career Program and           for them because they have helped me
to find a kidney donor or receive dialy-   how this wonderful place would help         through so much.
sis three times a week so the treatment    me strengthen my relationship with God
could filter out his blood. Each treat-    and give me the opportunity to continue     I am now working on my Bachelor’s
ment was four hours long. My dad hit       my college education without the stress     Degree in Business Administration &
rock bottom and so did my family. My       of my current situation. I needed this      Management at Schreiner University
father had no choice then but to receive   so bad because I was always stressed,       with a 3.0 GPA. I can’t thank Arms of
the dialysis until he could be on the      unhappy, sad and to the point where I       Hope enough for letting me become a
transplant list or find a kidney donor.    saw no point in living. I was at a very     part of this family and giving me the
My father was unable to work and my        unhealthy stage in my life. I was doing     opportunity to continue my education
mom had to take care of my father, so      so bad that I started getting physically    and help me become the woman I am
my sister and I put our dreams on hold     sick. My relationship with God was          meant to be. n
to pay the bills.                          very thin. I was just angry at the world.
                                                                                                       ArmsofHope.org      8
ArmsofHope.org - Arms of Hope
Together Program

Together Program

       Spotlight-
                                                                                           “My ship was sinking and
                                                                                         Arms of Hope was my rescue

          Cherie
                                                                                         boat. There is so much grace
                                                                                          and love here that it is truly
                                                                                            remarkable.” - Cherie

I once thought I had my life together.     that I was not there for him and that I let   an asylum. With time, and the cease
Living in Little Rock, Arkansas, I was     myself get to that point at his expense.      of medicine, I gradually got better and
a single mom and full-time college         My grades dropped and I left school,          even got a job. However, it was not
student, while also holding down a         and soon after I was let go from my job.      enough income to be able to provide a
full-time job. I had moved into my own     I could not maintain my life anymore.         home and life for my son who I missed
downtown apartment and had financed                                                      dearly.
and eventually paid off my car. My         My half-sister told me about Arms of
grades were decent, and I was consid-      Hope and the Together Program and             I was then accepted into the Together
ered a good employee. The reality          she sent me an application. She and           Program in Medina and I bought a one
was that I was the captain of a slowly     her family offered to take my son into        way bus ticket in May 2018. My family
sinking ship.                              their home where he would be safe             brought my son, Devon, a few days
                                           while I sorted out the wreckage of my         later and we were reunited and able to
While I had a full-time income, it still   life. I wanted to be able to provide for      reconnect with each other through that
was not enough to support my living        him again so I could be the mom he            summer in a safe, loving and supportive
expenses. I was dependent upon student     deserved and needed. I was evicted            environment. I enrolled in online
loans and my poor financial skills did     from my apartment and lost my car.            classes for the Fall 2018 semester at
not help matters. I became stressed        While staying with a neighbor and             the University of Texas of the Permian
and unhappy and began taking many          friend who was helping me, I quit all         Basin and I was able to complete my
different prescription medications         medications and was coping with with-         Bachelor of Arts in Communication in
and abusing them to a very dangerous       drawals. I was mentally unstable with         May 2020!
extent. This spiraled out of control       paranoia, delusions, and severe anxiety.
and I became a completely different        My speech would stutter and my mind           Arms of Hope provided a home for me
person that my family, friends, and        was like a loud beehive. I could hear         and my son and I have never felt alone
even I didn’t know. My son was prob-       my heartbeat pounding so loud in my           or unsupported. My security, spiritual
ably wondering where his mommy was         ears that I couldn’t even have normal         health, mental health, parenting, and
and who this angry, crying, mess of a      conversations with people. Music in           overall wellness have been nurtured
woman was who took her place. This is      my headphones was the only thing              and have helped me to grow. My ship
so hard to share, but he remembers me      that could make it stop. I was afraid         was sinking and Arms of Hope was my
passed out on the bathroom floor and he    to tell anyone what was happening for         rescue boat. There is so much grace and
thought I was dead. It breaks my heart     fear they would laugh or lock me in           love here that it is truly remarkable. n
9 Reaching Generations
Family Outreach Centers
       FOC
 Spotlight-
     Adebisi

                                                                    “I felt loved by this beautiful act of kindness
                                                                        because love has no color.” - Adebisi

My name is Adebisi and I’m a single          that there were many other programs        feel I was facing anything alone. My
mother of four. I come from a large          through their community partnership        caseworker provided me with a safe
polygamous family. My father had two         with SA Hope Center. I learned about       environment to continue on my path
wives and twelve children. Among all         the GED program and decided to             to success and has been a blessing for
my siblings I was the only one fortu-        enroll. I was planning on going back       myself and my family. She even came
nate enough to relocate to the United        to school to further my education, but     to my home to drop off some essen-
States. America was always seen as the       I wasn’t financially stable and never      tial items at my doorstep. This really
land of greener pastures and I wanted        thought this would be possible for me      moved me to tears. I felt loved by this
to pursue the American dream. Even           due to my financial issues and family      beautiful act of kindness because love
though living here was tough, I hoped        situation. I became encouraged when I      has no color. Arms of Hope went that
for the best. I attended a skill center in   learned about all the educational possi-   extra mile to check up on our well-
Delaware where I received my CNA             bilities that seemed to instantly become   being and provide God’s spiritual love
license.                                     a possible reality for me.                 to our humble family.

My family decided to relocate to Texas       Arms of Hope welcomed us with              I will strive to do better and get the best
in December of 2017, hoping for a            unconditional love. There have been a      results for my family’s lives that I can.
better life. After getting to San Antonio,   lot of changes in my life since I found    I want to make myself, my family, and
we were struggling to manage our             Arms of Hope. I now have the zeal to       my community proud. I also hope to be
bills and we went to the San Antonio         start over and give this program my all    able to give back to my community one
Food Bank for assistance. That is            so that I can be a better person.          day, so help me God. n
where I learned about Arms of Hope
and the San Antonio Family Outreach          During the pandemic, Arms of Hope
Center. At Arms of Hope, I discovered        staff was heaven sent, they never let me
                                                                                                         ArmsofHope.org 10
The Corona Virus (COVID-19) Pandemic
                    Thriving During the Storm

Arms of Hope has a deep desire to be       employees of AOH stepped up in so           church services became our norm with
the hands and feet of Jesus, even during   many different ways that the ripple of      individual communion cups. Youth
a pandemic storm. When the world           that love continues. The Family Out-        beach retreats were more socially dis-
stops in so many ways, how does a          reach Centers doubled and tripled the       tanced. YouTube videos of great people
Christian organization continue to love    number of families served. They liter-      of faith also became ways of learning
with the love of Christ?                   ally saved lives. Where we continued        about the ways in which God was at
                                           with the basic levels of care (food,        work.
In John 1:5, we read how the world         shelter, clothing, etc.), it also meant
is hostile to the light (Jesus) and yet    being creative in a variety of areas such   Where areas of our campus changed,
Jesus continues to shine in the midst of   as spiritual opportunities and school.      such as no longer meeting in large
darkness. We, too, received a similar      Whether the employees were ministers,       numbers, the one thing that did not
call during the season of COVID-           case workers, counselors or mainte-         change was a commitment to one
19. The call on our campuses and in        nance staff, they all turned into school    another. Marchell, one of our amazing
our Family Outreach Centers to work        teachers to make sure our children got      Licensed Professional Christian Coun-
harder came quickly and the dedicated      their work for the year finished. Zoom      selors, had to work from home early on
11   Reaching Generations
due to more restrictions in the county     do more projects with smaller groups of      Boles Campus Executive Director,
where she lives, as well as being preg-    children and find new ways to connect        Joel Derrough, says it best: “When the
nant with her second child. She recalls,   and point one another towards Jesus.”        whole world pushed pause, AOH staff
“Residents’ safety was a priority and so                                                dug a trench and continued to serve.
was mine. I experienced my clients in a    The level of creativity when it came         The staff’s workload, stress, and their
new way, because we were conducting        to care during this interesting time is      own personal issues heightened and yet
counseling in unconventional settings      something of wonder. God, no doubt,          they continued on with love, compas-
(kitchens, separate vehicles, with chil-   had a hand in creating space for new         sion, and creativity to serve the least of
dren, etc.) It allowed me to get to know   and amazing ways for AOH to love one         these and to continue with the mission
my clients in a new light and we were      another and to tell the story of Jesus. At   of Arms of Hope.”
able to get closer to one another. In a    the end of the day when it came time to
different way, COVID –19 was a bless-      go the extra mile, AOH met the chal-         And the best news of all! God blessed
ing in disguise.” Natalie, the Currey      lenge head on with lots of faith in God      this time during the storm with more
Learning Center Director at Boles, tells   and encouragement from our amazing           new followers of Christ than ever
this wonderful story, “We were able to     supporters.                                  before! n
                                                                                                         ArmsofHope.org 12
&
Annual Report
                          ORGANIZATIONAL

                           Goals

 In a year when the world shut down,
we took time to enjoy the little things!
13 Reaching Generations           All figures in this report are based on
                                  the Fiscal Year from 7/1/19 to 6/30/20.
Arms of Hope is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Christian organi-
zation that was formed by the consolidation of Medina Chil-
                                                                  MISSION STATEMENT
dren’s Home (est. 1958) and Boles Children’s Home (est.             To transform the lives of
1924). This partnership holds over 158 years of combined         disadvantaged children, youth
experience in caring for the physical, emotional, educational    and families by providing hope
and spiritual needs of children and single-mother families.       and support in a nurturing,
Although both organizations were originally created to serve
                                                                    Christian environment.
as homes for orphans, Arms of Hope has expanded to serve
the growing needs of at-risk children and families. Arms of
Hope offers residential and outreach programs for children          VISION STATEMENT
and single-mother families, who are fleeing poverty, home-           Reaching generations by
lessness, abuse, neglect and human trafficking.                    helping children and families
                                                                         find a future with
The Board of Directors of Arms of Hope operates with a high
level of commitment to provide leadership, guidance and fi-             hope and promise.
nances for the organization. Under the mentorship of the
                                                                 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
board, Arms of Hope’s leadership team is in constant pursuit
of improving program quality and increasing the number of
poverty stricken and desperate children and single-mother        Jerry Cox, Chairman - Houston
families that we serve throughout the state of Texas and be-     Mike Calvert, Exec. Com. - Houston
yond. All employees are committed and directed to limit-         Scot Foith, Exec. Com. - Flower Mound
ing administrative expenses and follow a detailed and well       Bruce Barnard - Universal City
                                                                 Jerry Browder - Denton
thought out line-item budget to ensure that every donor dollar
                                                                 Dale Harbison - Edmond, Oklahoma
is spent to best benefit our residents.                          Kevin McDonald - Houston
                                                                 Beth Walker - Houston
Arms of Hope’s annual budget is $8 million and the organiza-     Tom Winkler - Garland
tion depends almost entirely on private monetary and cloth-      Jana Woelfel - Houston
ing donations from generous individuals, corporations, foun-

       PROGRAM ALLOCATIONS                                       INCOME SOURCES

                                                                                     ArmsofHope.org 14
dations and churches for funding
these invaluable services.                     ARMS OF HOPE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
                                                 COME FROM VARIOUS LOCATIONS
Most of the residents in Arms of
Hope’s programs are from Texas
and 96% come from the urban areas
and contiguous counties of Dallas/
Ft. Worth, Houston and San Anto-
nio. The children and single mother
families we serve are from all eth-
nic backgrounds with 48% being
Hispanic, 38% African-American
and 14% Caucasian. Children and
young adults participating in Arms
of Hope’s programs range in age
from birth to early twenties. The
largest population of children in
Arms of Hope’s care are twelve
years old and younger with 46%
being 5 and under. Less than 3%
of Arms of Hope’s residents come
from homes with two parents. Most                                               ETHNICITY OF
placements are a result of poverty,     bility, social skills and education.
                                                                                PARTICIPANTS
failed adoptions, family members        92% now receive better grades in
who can no longer take on parental      school than when they first arrived
responsibility, single-parent homes     in our care with an amazing 35%
filled with abuse and neglect and       now on the Honor Roll. 80% of
placements by a Juvenile Proba-         Arms of Hope’s school-aged chil-
tion Office. Arms of Hope helps         dren are now able to participate in
each resident succeed by having         extracurricular activities due to the
them follow an in-depth “plan of        support and resources provided by
service” that measures a variety of     our programs and staff. 70% of all
different areas in their life such as   AOH residents either experienced
health and wellness, emotional sta-     positive reunification with their
                                        family or graduated from one of our
        GENDER OF                       programs. Most of the single moth-
         PROGRAM                        ers and their children who come to
       PARTICIPANTS                     Arms of Hope are considered to be
                                        homeless and all are poverty strick-
                                        en. Arms of Hope is truly making
                                        a difference in the lives of those in
                                        desperate need by providing pro-
                                        grams that offer physical, emotional
                                        and spiritual transformation.

                                             20-30 Arms of Hope
                                            program participants
                                           become new followers of
                                              Christ each year.

15 Reaching Generations
All campus residents receive
                                        professional therapy.
                                        In Fiscal Year 2020,
                                    6,200 hours of professional
                                      therapy were utilized by
                                      Arms of Hope residents.

       NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS SERVED IN FISCAL YEAR 2020

EDUCATIONAL GAINS AMONG          AGE OF CHILDREN IN AOH CARE
  PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

                                                     ArmsofHope.org 16
Programs Offered on Arms of Hope’s Two Residential                                       RIGHT START PROGRAM
Campuses and in its Urban Family Outreach Centers Include:                          The Right Start Program helps ex-
                                                                                    pectant single mothers prepare for
                                                                                    motherhood, while providing shel-
    RESIDENTIAL CHILD CARE                    TOGETHER PROGRAM                      ter, necessities and skills needed
               PROGRAM                                                              to care for their newborn babies. It
                                           The Together Program helps mo-           serves as an entry point for women
  The Residential Child Care Program       tivated single mothers and their
  meets disadvantaged children’s                                                    coming into the Together Program,
                                           children transition into successful,     who desire to be a parent and learn
  physical, emotional, educational and     independent futures by providing
  spiritual needs in a warm family-like                                             how to establish a healthy family en-
                                           counseling, accountability, par-         vironment for their children.
  atmosphere, where house parents          enting skills, career training and a
  function as mother and father figures.   home in a peaceful and safe envi-
  Residents range in age from 5 to 18      ronment. These mothers are flee-              OUTREACH PROGRAM
  and live in cottages with eight to ten   ing homelessness, domestic vio-          Family Outreach Centers provide
  children. Arms of Hope provides for      lence, human trafficking, abuse or       physical, emotional and spiritual
  children’s basic daily needs includ-     have lost sustainable support when
  ing shelter, food, clothing, counsel-                                             assistance to underprivileged chil-
                                           a death, incarceration or divorce        dren and families in their own
  ing, supervision and education.          have occurred and there are no           neighborhoods, which are some of
                                           other means of provision.                the most financially distressed urban
                                                                                    areas in Texas including Dallas,
                                                                                    Denton, Fort Worth, Houston and
                                                                                    San Antonio. Arms of Hope provides
                                                COLLEGE & CAREER                    short-term immediate assistance to
                                                    PROGRAM                         prevent homelessness, hunger and
                                                                                    disconnected utilities. Invaluable
                                           The College and Career Program           long-term resources are also offered
                                           provides assistance for Arms of          to help change a person’s future, such
                                           Hope high school graduates with          as in-depth case management, needs
                                           support through college, trade           assessments, counseling and family
                                           school or into their first job and of-   workshops. All clients receive prayer,
                                           ten includes accommodations for          Bible study and church referrals. For
                                           graduates, who have not yet found        those suffering from extreme abuse,
                                           a place to call home.                    Arms of Hope residential campuses
                                                                                    become their new home.

 Arms of Hope strongly believes in evangelism and discipleship. Through spiritual opportunities including
 regular church services, campus devotionals and Christian camps, 24 participants in our Residential Child
 Care, Together and Family Outreach Center programs became new followers of Christ in Fiscal Year 2020.
 All residents are given daily opportunities to grow in their faith by encountering house parents, case manag-
 ers and counselors that show unconditional love and respect. Each campus has a dedicated minister spe-
 cifically for residents’ spiritual needs and the ministry team oversees all spiritual activities and devotional
 curriculum.

             PROBLEM AREAS UPON ADMISSION TO RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS

17 Reaching Generations
How You Can Help
 Volunteer - Arms of Hope welcomes over 60 groups per year for week
 long mission trips and weekend retreats. To bring your group to Arms
 of Hope, please inquire online at ArmsofHope.org.

 Monetary Donations - All general donations support the programs
 of care provided by Arms of Hope and can be one time gifts or can be
 scheduled as recurring gifts. Donate online at ArmsofHope.org.
 Planned Giving - Discover new ways to make a gift that also takes
 into consideration your personal circumstances and the needs of your
 heirs including Wills, Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder
 Trusts and Charitable Lead Trusts, etc. Explore the value of charitable
 gifts that require a little thought, but pay off in big benefits to you, your
 family and Arms of Hope. Send inquiries to PlannedGiving@Armsof-
 Hope.org.
 Scholarships - Many of the children and single-mother families that
 we care for have the desire, ability and need to further their education.
 Sometimes the only missing ingredient is the necessary resources. You
 can help Arms of Hope make certain no one in our care is ever deprived
 of a quality education by providing funding for scholarships for our
 residents.                                                                        Organizational Goals
 Sponsor a Child or Family in Our Care - Taking care of needs like                      for 2021
 clothing, food, school supplies and household items is essential. The
 children and families in our care benefit immensely when you show
                                                                                 v Complete remodel of older
 you care by financially supporting the procurement of items essential
                                                                                 residences (some more than 50
 to them. Sponsorship programs are available for all giving levels.
                                                                                 years old) for children and sin-
       Learn more about how you can help at ArmsofHope.org                       gle mothers.

                                                                                 v Expand and enhance Family
In Fiscal Year 2020, Arms of Hope hosted 56 different volunteer                  Outreach Centers in Ft. Worth
groups, 1,256 volunteers and 21,580 volunteer hours! Volunteers are              and San Antonio.
an invaluable asset to Arms of Hope whose manual labor and ministry
truly make a difference in the lives of our children and single mothers.
                                                                                 v Continue formal ministry
                                                                                 programs in our Family Out-
                                                                                 reach Centers that have seen
    Do You Want to Make A                                                        substantial growth in numbers
  Difference by Volunteering?
                                                                                 served, evangelism and disci-
  To bring a group of your friends                                               pleship
  to Arms of Hope, please inquire
     online at ArmsofHope.org                                                    v Expand and enhance online
View a brief video about volunteer                                               learning on both campuses to
opportunities by scanning this QR:                                               provide residents even more ac-
                                                                                 cess to higher education oppor-
                                                                                 tunities.

                                                                                            ArmsofHope.org 18
A journey of a child                                                                                      Kamille

                                        e
                                                                                                          Miller
longing for

                              o       v
     L
   to a nurse showing
     love to others...

 I recall very specific moments as a       periences were worse than those with       ness and shame that I didn’t under-
 young child when I felt absolutely and    my biological parents. I felt alone and    stand. I was in agony with no one to
 completely alone, unsafe and unloved.     confused being separated from my           turn to. I buried my grief and contin-
 I was terrified of the uncertainty that   parents. After about a year with my        ued to build walls that no one could
 consumed me. I was surrounded by          foster parents, I was placed back with     break. My anger and hurt had built up
 domestic violence and my parents          my biological parents, but this was        so much over the years that it was all
 were unable to care for me and my         short-lived as they continued their old    I knew. After seven years of living in
 brother because of their drug and al-     habits and neglected us.                   homes filled with violence and rage, I
 cohol addiction. At the age of four, I                                               had embraced the same behavior.
 took on the role of mom looking out       For the next several years, my siblings
 for my younger siblings. There were       and I were placed in and out of mul-       My adopted mother’s punishments
 nights when I would wrap my arms          tiple foster homes. During this time,      were aggressive and physical, so natu-
 around my brother, cradling him un-       I experienced unimaginable physical        rally I continued to lash out. After a
 der my bed while he cried.                and emotional abuse at the hands of        year of being in their home they gave
                                           those who were supposed to protect         me two options; boot camp or Arms
 I was then placed into a foster home      me. Piece by piece small parts of my       of Hope. I was not pleased with either
 with my two-year-old brother. Rather      heart continued to be chipped away         option but agreed to placement on the
 than being placed in a safe place, I      until I no longer felt worthy of love. I   Medina Campus. After they dropped
 was hurled into a home where my ex-       had continuous feelings of worthless-      me off, I was again consumed with
 19 Reaching Generations
feelings of abandonment. I knew that
it was only a matter of time until I was
passed along again, but God had other
plans!

It has now been thirteen years and I
am still a part of the Arms of Hope                                                         2011
family! The journey to where I am
now has not been easy for me or those
that guided me. For several years I
tested the limits, breaking rules and
acting out, but the loving staff at AOH
stood by me and continued to give me
the love that I had been deprived of for
so long. For the first time in as long
as I could remember I slowly began                               2010
to trust again. The impact of being a
small, helpless child with parents who
raged, abused, and neglected me left                         2012
a lasting impression. For a very long
time I had difficulty maintaining a
positive self-esteem, forming relation-                                                             2011
ships and trusting others.

                                                                                        2014

For years I told myself that I was okay
with what happened to me. While                                     2012
logically I believed this, my heart was                                                                  2019
in turmoil, but realized God led me
to the exact place I needed to be and
gave me the home and family I had          While in the Arms of Hope College       all that I have been given. I continue
always desired. I was given the sup-       & Career Program, I successfully ob-    to use the adversity I experienced as a
port and stability I needed to heal my     tained a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology   child through my passion for helping
deepest wounds. Their continued pa-        and a nursing degree from Texas Tech    and caring for others.
tience and unwavering dedication to        Health Sciences Center. I now live
my success transformed my life. The        in Houston where I work at Houston      I have grown from a scared child into
most important relationships in my         Methodist, the number one hospital in   a confident and capable, yet humble
life are the ones I have formed with       Texas. While the pandemic has been      person. I know that without the un-
the present and past staff members         a frightening time for so many, I am    conditional love I was given by Arms
of Arms of Hope. The closest family        fortunate to work in a career serving   of Hope I would not be the person I
I have are those that were once my         the Lord using my talents to help and   am today. I have gained an ongoing
house parents. They have loved me          show love to those in need. In this     recognition of God’s presence in my
over the years and continue to support     time of uncertainty, I am filled with   life and a more profound understand-
me in every aspect of my life.             an immense amount of gratitude for      ing of my strengths. n
                                                                                                   ArmsofHope.org 20
Dallas Gala
   featuring Darren Woodson & Jaylon Smith

Hundreds of Arms of Hope friends         Jaylon was selected by the Cowboys as     received the highest recognition by
enjoyed a fantastic evening of being     the 34th overall draft pick in 2016. He   being inducted into the Ring of Hon-
inspired by children we serve along      played football at Notre Dame, where      or in 2015.
with the joy of a special conversation   he won the Butkus Award as the na-
with past and present Cowboy super-      tion’s top linebacker and was named a     Besides interesting accounts of their
stars, Darren Woodson and Jaylon         consensus All-American.                   immense athletic accomplishments,
Smith.                                                                             Jaylon and Darren shined at the Gala
                                         Darren played his entire career with      with their examples of humility, per-
Darren & Jaylon were a perfect com-      the Cowboys from 1992-2003. He            severance and faith.
bination of laughs and special mo-       won three Super Bowls, was a 5-time
ments of faith and love for all who      Pro Bowler and retired as the Cow-        As always, the real superstars of the
attended the event.                      boys all-time leading tackler. Darren     evening were the Arms of Hope resi-
21 Reaching Generations
dents! Rene is in the College & Career    off the bus after school and walking    have devotionals with other residents
Program and shared what his life was      an hour to the soup kitchen only to     and my case manager makes sure I
like growing up. He lived in six dif-     be told that they were already out of   stay on track. I will graduate from
ferent homeless shelters and battled      food. Renee then found the love and     college because of God and Arms of
extreme poverty his whole life. His       support of Arms of Hope!                Hope,” Renee said.
parents were addicted to drugs and
his father was in and out of jail. He     “I’ve now been at Arms of Hope for      The date for our Fall ‘ 21 gala is still
remembers living in a small duplex        two years and have a 3.2 college GPA.   to be determined due to COVID-19
with his thirteen brothers and sisters,   I’m the only one of fourteen children   cancellations, but we have a commit-
sleeping on the floor and sharing one     in my family to attend college. Arms    ment from Olympic Gold Medalist,
bathroom. Many times he went to           of Hope has created a community         Mary Lou Retton to be our special
bed hungry and remembers getting          where I can belong. I share meals and   guest! We hope you will join us. n
                                                                                                  ArmsofHope.org 22
Brighter Horizons

                                                                                                           Leeza
                                                                                                           Black

                                            &a future filled with
                                             Hope & Happiness
Having a survivor mentality, living        I woke up everyday hating myself,              At the age of 15, I was placed at Arms
day-by-day and wondering what today        everyone and everything around                 of Hope-Medina Campus on April 14,
would bring was my reality. Would I        me. Why was I given this life? Why             2009. Everyone at AOH talked about
go to bed hungry again, be made to cut     couldn’t I just be a normal kid? Why           God and how he loves me, but I didn’t
grass with kitchen scissors, eat off the   couldn’t I be loved and wanted? Why            believe them. Then, the most amazing
floor, have to wear dirty clothes and      even live?                                     light destroyed the darkness of my life
not get to take a shower? Be hit again                                                    when I learned this scripture:
until I bruised or scarred? Would I be     I was so tired of it all. So tired of eating
told I was worthless, not wanted and       off the floor like a dog, scrubbing the        “For I know the plans I have for you.
not loved? Or, that I was an ugly piece    walls with a toothbrush, being touched         Plans to prosper you, not harm you and
of trash who would never succeed and       in every way and being moved from              give you hope and a future!”
would end up like my addict mother?        house to house.                                		               - Jeremiah 29:11
23 Reaching Generations
2012
                        1 0
                     20

                                          2011

                                                                  2012                      201
                                                                                                  3
              2010

                                              2015

                                                                201
                                                                      9
                      2015                                                                            2020

                                 2 0
                              20
Arms of Hope made God’s powerful          I became the first female in my family    tinued pouring out his love by giving us
words real in my life. After months of    to graduate high school and I contin-     a beautiful daughter. Because of how
being fed, respected, loved and wanted,   ued my journey at Arms of Hope in the     Arms of Hope loved me, I know how
I started to breathe and break down the   College & Career Program.                 to love her. My journey with Arms of
walls. I was able to shower when I                                                  Hope continues as I am honored to
wanted, given clean clothes and they      God’s amazing plans for me included       work in the College & Career Program
actually asked me what I wanted to        marrying my best friend and high          and share the ministry that saved my
eat! The bruises and scars on my body     school sweetheart in the beautiful        life with everyone I can. As for my
and soul started to heal and I began to   chapel on campus. We met at Camp          future, I continue to trust God and I
love back. I was taught how to be a kid   Eagle, the Christian camp that children   can’t imagine working anywhere else.
again and how to forgive. I was finally   at Arms of Hope are blessed to attend.    This is home. n
wanted, appreciated and I felt worthy.    I am now 27 years old and God has con-
                                                                                                    ArmsofHope.org 24
Arms of Hope is thank f

Fort Bend Christian Academy - Sugarland                                       Johnson Street - San Angelo

                                                                                       Abilene Christian
                                                                                       Weekend Warriors

Aggies For Christ - Medina

                                          In Fiscal Year 2020, Arms of Hope was blessed to host 56
                                            different groups containing a total of 1,256 supporters
                                           who provided 21,580 volunteer hours before COVID-19
                                                 prevented us from hosting additional groups.

                  Grapevine Church

Cornerstone Christian
 School - Sugarland                                                         Southeast Church - Houston
ful for its volunteers...
                         McDermott Road - Plano

                                                   San Antonio
                                                   Christian                                     Crosstown Church - Tulsa

 BDI Insurance - San Antonio                                                               Lake Highlands Church - Dallas

 Alamo City MOPAR - San Antonio

                                                                        League Street Church - Sulphur Springs

                                                         First Colony   To contact us about volunteer opportunities,
                                                         Family Class   please e-mail: Volunteer@ArmsofHope.org
                                                         - Sugarland

            Cypress Creek Church - Wimberley

                                                                                                Lamar Avenue
Grace Bible - LaVernia                            South Yukon Church - Oklahoma                 Church - Paris
Arms of Hope
 Happenings
                                                                                    Boles Campus kids took a Financial
                                                                                    Peace class and used their new skills
                                                                                    on a trip to the grocery store to learn
                                                                                    how to stay on budget with groceries.

                                          Medina Campus children did fantastic
                                          at the annual Bandera County Live-
                                          stock Show. 19 children participated
                                          and their hard work was rewarded with
                                          several 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishes
                                          as well as a Reserve Champion.

                                                                                    Arms of Hope is so proud of Melissa,
                                                                                    our Health & Wellness Coordinator on
                                                                                    the Boles Campus. Melissa graduated
Boles Campus children in the Learn-                                                 with her Masters of Science in Social
ing Center created a beautiful Wall of                                              Work from Abilene Christian Univer-
Honor to show their love and support to                                             sity and was honored to present at the
all those connected with Boles Home,                                                Society for Social Work & Research
who serve our country!                                                              Conference in Washington, D.C.
                                          Thank you to Chad and Haley Warner
                                          for taking Medina Campus residents
                                          and Kerrville Church of Christ youth to
                                          Soul Link in Houston at Bammel Road
                                          Church of Christ. The children had an
                                          unbelievable time worshipping, listen-
                                          ing to incredible speakers and bonding
                                          closer together as a group.

Thank you to the Baptist Health Foun-
dation in San Antonio for once again
helping the children on the Medina                                                  Thank you Monica and the Texas
Campus receive invaluable counseling                                                Department of Transportation for bless-
that will help break the generational                                               ing the moms on the Boles Campus
cycles of abuse and neglect!                                                        with car seats and instructions on how
                                                                                    to use them to protect their children.
                                          Thank you Michaela and the San
                                          Antonio Spurs for coming to the
                                          Medina Campus for a fun dance camp!
                                          This was the second year that the chil-
                                          dren were blessed with this event and
                                          they loved every minute of it!

                                                                                    Residents and staff from the Boles
Congratulations to several of the moms                                              Campus had an amazing time at “Girl-
on the Medina Campus for complet-                                                   friend’s Seminar” hosted by Lakeshore
ing Financial Peace. What a great                                                   Church in Rockwall. The ladies lis-
resource for when our residents leave                                               tened to some wonderful speakers who
our program and use their money the       Our kids had a great experience on        encouraged and challenged them in
way God wants them to.                    Wilderness Trek in Colorado!              ways to grow closer to Christ.
27   Reaching Generations
Thank you Sojourners for your annual
mission trip to the Boles Campus. This                                              Sweet Caylee on the Boles Campus has
amazing group helped with cottage                                                   found a passion for cooking pancakes!
renovations, cooked meals for the resi-   Glenn Lackey from First Blessing in       She made pancakes for her cottage mul-
dents and spent time worshipping with     Temple gave every child on our Boles      tiple times during Spring Break and her
and loving our children.                  Campus a new pair of shoes. The chil-     House Parents were very appreciative
                                          dren got to pick from several options     of the break from cooking breakfast.
                                          and are so thankful for this gift.        Way to go Caylee!

Together Program moms on the Medina
Campus were blessed to participate in
the “100 Days Project” where they use
art for 100 days to study scripture.      Although they could not be with us on
                                          the Medina Campus this year, Alamo
                                          City LX Modern MOPAR donated one
                                          thousand Easter eggs for our children
                                          to hunt.
                                                                                    Congratulations to Kisha on the Boles
                                                                                    Campus for being accepted into the Phi
                                                                                    Theta Kappa Honor Society.

Children on our campuses love to beat
the heat by using our wonderful splash-
pads.

                                          The joy of discovery! The children in
                                          our Residential Child Care program
                                          discover all sorts of new and exciting
                                          things while playing in the community     Medina Campus children love learning
                                          garden on campus. They have learned       about tasty, healthy foods and how to
                                          how to grow vegetables and take care      prepare them. What a great lesson to
Medina Campus kids enjoy being out-       of chickens.                              start teaching early in their life.
doors and paddle boarding on our lake.

Teenagers from the Medina Campus
did an amazing job on their mission       Breanna decided that for her 8th birth-   Moms on the Medina Campus com-
trip to McAllen. They helped frame        day, she would be more blessed to give    pleted an invaluable life skills class on
a house, painted the local church and     than to receive and donated her pres-     vehicle maintenance. What a great tool
loved on children in the community        ents to children on our Boles Campus.     to help their families financially when
during Vacation Bible School.             What an amazing young lady.               they leave the program.
                                                                                                     ArmsofHope.org 28
Christmas Blessings

                                     Arms of Hope missed hav-
                                     ing as many groups visit our
                                     campuses due to COVID-19,
Boles Campus Ugly                    but we are thankful for the                     Isabella made this
Christmas Sweater Party              many toys and gift cards our                    beautiful snow globe!
                                     supporters sent our kids.

                                                                                          Sovereign Sons
                                                                                          Motorcycle Club
                                               Picking a tree at Pipe Creek                 blessed our
                                               Christmas Tree Farm                         kids with toys

Annual toy drive at Comanche Trace                                            Hunt County Tunes for Tots

29   Reaching Generations
Growing in Christ at Christian Summer Camp

Over one hundred twenty five chil-         19 cancellations. We are hopeful our       baptisms every year! We are thankful
dren experienced the joy of Christian      kids will have this great experience       to our generous supporters who make
summer camp in 2019. Sadly our res-        again in 2021 and we need your help!       camp possible each year. Please
idents and Family Outreach Center          Camp is always a time to participate       consider continuing or starting your
program participants were not able to      in amazing activities and most impor-      camp support for next summer. n
attend camp in 2020 due to COVID-          tantly, grow closer to Jesus with many

                                     Arms of Hope Youth Interns

   Arms of Hope interns led devotionals and Bible studies, organized activities, chaperoned
       children and showed the love of Jesus to all of the residents of Arms of Hope!

Boles Campus was blessed to host two great interns this summer!         Medina Campus had two amazing interns! Kaitlyn
Lila Grace (left) is a junior at Harding University where she is        (left) is a senior, Elementary Education major at
majoring in Social Work. She stated, “I had the opportunity to          Texas A&M. She said, “I’m a member of Aggies for
serve at AOH on mission trips in high school. I was so excited to       Christ and have been coming to the Medina Campus
grow as a servant of the Lord and a social worker last summer on        for several years. I loved interacting with everyone
the Boles Campus.” Katie (right) is a sophomore at Texas A&M            at Arms of Hope, ministering to others and finding
University and is obtaining a degree in Sociology. Katie said,          ways to use the skills I’ve learned as an Education
“My first mission trip was to Arms of Hope-Medina Campus                major to create an awesome summer for everyone!”
when I was in middle school. Ever since then, I have fallen in          Hannah (right) is a senior at Abilene Christian Uni-
love with this ministry. I feel God has called me to live a life that   versity as a Youth and Family Ministry major with
loves others with Christ-like love. The Lord is present in this         a minor in Psychology. She stated “I feel as if God
non-profit and I love that their top priority is loving the kids and    led me to intern and I grew from this opportunity. I
moms selflessly, not judging, but helping them to see the worth         enjoyed finding creative ways to have fun and build
within them that the world told them was nonexistent.” n                relationships with everyone on campus.” n
                                                                                                      ArmsofHope.org 30
Remembering A Life
                                                                                                    of
                                                                                         Service to
                                                                                            Arms of
                                                                                               Hope

             Bill Brown
                1927-2020

Arms of Hope lost a passionate sup-        individuals and foundations for items       was instrumental in the partnership
porter for our ministry with the pass-     such as food, clothing, tires for cars,     between the home and the school in
ing of Bill Brown. Bill served on the      wood to build barns and donations           Medina.
Board of Directors of Medina Chil-         of cattle to feed the children. Bill was
dren’s Home for over 25 years.             also able to help get the Moody Foun-       Bill was born in 1927 to Virgil and
                                           dation to build the gym on campus           Verna Brown near Mt. Pleasant, Tex-
Bill traveled all over the state finding   and raise money for paving the roads,       as. Bill was raised on the farmlands
support for the home starting in 1968.     a sewage system and was honored to          near the Bridges Chapel Community
Bill joined a special group of people      help raise the funds for the first single   and began farming with Virgil before
that would go out and ask churches,        mother home on campus. He also              he was able to walk. After serving
31   Reaching Generations
You can also read