What is a Hope Team?


Hope Teams provide encouragement and support to families moving from homelessness to self-sufficiency. The teams are comprised of four to six persons per team and work along with the W.I.S.H. Family Support Social Workers. By providing “unconditional love” they are the perfect complement to the Family Support Social Workers who oversee the “tough love” component of W.I.S.H. Some examples of where Hope Teams are helping include:


- Tutoring a child in the W.I.S.H. Program to assist with school success
- Tutoring a parent in the W.I.S.H. Program to provide support with GED completion
- Working together to advocate for the W.I.S.H. family’s children in the school system
- Enjoying outings to the park and other places with the W.I.S.H. family
- Celebrating holidays and birthdays together
- Providing coaching for increased employment options
- Assisting with budgeting and financial literacy
- Forming lasting friendships and providing a listening ear
- Supporting a family in their journey towards self-sufficiency


Training for Hope Team members is provided by W.I.S.H. Volunteer Managers who are certified trainers for the Bridges out of Poverty curriculum. Bridges out of Poverty was developed by Ruby Payne, Phil DeVol, and Terie Dreussi Smith after years of research on class differences and provides a wonderful framework for understanding poverty.
Hope Team at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Participating Congregations include:

Calvary United Methodist Church
Christ Episcopal Church
Covenant Presbyterian Church
Cross and Crown Lutheran Church
Good Shepherd United Methodist Church
First Presbyterian Church
Meadowlake Presbyterian Church
Myers Park Presbyterian Church
Myers Park United Methodist Church
Nexus Church
Providence Baptist Church
Providence Road Church of Christ
Providence United Methodist Church
St Mark’s Lutheran Church
St Peter’s Episcopal Church
St Stephen’s United Methodist Church
Sardis Presbyterian Church
Temple Beth El
Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte