Happy New Year! As we embark on 2022 I have some exciting news to share with you.
In 2013, I, along with Angie Rench and the team at Community Presbyterian Church of Celebration, had the honor of opening The Community Hope Center with a goal to serve the families living in hotels and motels on Kissimmee’s tourism corridor.
We moved into a building that had been built originally as an IHOP then turned into a Mexican restaurant with the expectation that we would serve a few hundred people a year. Eight years later, we have served over 90,000 heartbeats in this community, expanded to provide new services, and grown our team from three employees to over 30. We’ve also changed from being the Hope Center to being The Hope Partnership, allowing us to provide both direct services and housing to make sure everyone has a safe place to call home.
Simply put, we are far more than a center on the 192 corridor, and honestly, we have outgrown our space at Four Winds Boulevard.
We have known for a few years that our 192 location was not the best space for us anymore. The COVID-19 pandemic only reinforced our need to find a space that better suits the needs of those we serve as we continue our work to empower our neighbors, strengthen our community, and build hope in Central Florida and beyond. While we are proud of the work we have accomplished at this property, the time has arrived for us to move on. While we were not looking to move, an interested buyer approached the Board of Directors with an offer, and they have accepted. As of Dec. 31, 2021 the Hope Center will no longer be located at 2198 Four Winds Blvd.
This might feel like a surprise, so we want to make sure we are clear about what’s next:
- We are staying in Kissimmee or Osceola County. We are committed to making sure that everyone in this community has a safe place to call home.
- We will continue to have a presence on HWY 192. Our administrative office building is just off the corridor, and we’ll continue to provide services at that site.
- Our Hope Cares outreach team will still be serving and reaching out to folks in the field along the corridor and the surrounding wooded areas.
- Some of our rapid rehousing offices and family advocacy staff will be relocated to a new location in downtown Kissimmee, a place we call Hope Commons, which we will share more about in the near future.
- Our phones will still work for anyone who reaches out to us, and the best way to reach out for services will continue to be moreinfo@hope192.com.
- Orange Blossom Family Health clinic will stay in its location for the near future, and we will assist them in finding their next home in Osceola County.
We are excited about this opportunity to grow, and we will work to continue serving our neighbors throughout this process.
As for the buyers of the building, we’re excited to hand off this place that we have called home to Krush Brau. They’ve come into this community with a dream to boost our tourism industry, and have been working to renovate the building next door to our 192 location which sat vacant for several years. They have been good neighbors to us, and purchasing our property will help accelerate their work on the corridor. They’re already employing some of our neighbors and supporting events in the community. We wish them all the best as they carry this property into the future.
As always, I am eternally grateful for all the ways each of you has helped us care for our neighbors and friends in Central Florida. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at moreinfo@hope192.com. May you have a happy holiday season!
