RVA Hope Center Mission

Three days ministering in our own city of Richmond grew our compassion and stretched each of us personally. With the three older kids, our missions pastor, the Young family and our friends who have recently started an organization to serve the poorest communities in Richmond, women involved in human trafficking and the homeless, we set out to bless and be blessed. Our kids blew us away with their boldness to connect and pray with strangers, do new things and love on children they’d just met that lived very differently than them. With wisdom we entered areas of our city riddled with gun violence and rivalry. RVA Hope Center has consistently served these communities and established a reputation for bringing good and love over the last few years. We met so many who have lost their young men in the last year. Our hearts broke for the children we read with who were barely reading after several years of school. We saw the brokenness of run down buildings and families struggling to feed their families. Our hope was to show them that they had value, that they mattered and that they were loved. It was a privilege to serve and hold their hands and hear their stories and pray for their needs.

Making sandwiches and HOPE bags for the homeless.

Exercise class with Vangie!

Push-up challenge with Geoff and a new friend.

Listening to stories and the challenges from a group of men living on the streets. We were also able to hand our hand sanitizer and masks.

Teaching a new song and dance to our friends in Creighton Court.

Making sno cones for a block party we helped with in Highland Park.

The sno cone volunteers! Mary-Michael ran all over the sidewalk offering free sno cones. She was in her element!

With some new friends we met in Mosby.

It’s reading time!

We spent the final part of our time together in Evergreen Cemetery, an African-American cemetery that’s been neglected. Volunteers come regularly to help clean it up and restore it as it should be.