5 x 5 x 5 for Hope

5 Easy Steps to Provide Hope

1. Do a 5K of your choice wherever you want by August 5 – walk, run, hike, bike, swim, skate, kayak, or whatever floats your boat.
2. Donate $5 to Hope's Corner (button is above). Even more will help us reach our $5000 fundraising goal. If you donate more than $125, you'll get a T-shirt.
   
3. Recruit 5 people to do a 5K – friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, shelter-in-place pals, . . . anyone.
   
4. Post 5 photos or messages on social media about your 5K using this hashtag – #Hope5kChallenge. 
5. High-5 yourself and feel good about partnering with Hope's Corner to provide food and support for local people who are hungry and hurting.

5 Reasons to Support Hope's Corner

1. Since 2011, we've provided almost 80,000 free hot, healthy breakfasts and bag lunches to homeless, low-income, and vulnerable folks. We've provided free meals every Saturday, even throughout the pandemic.
   
2. To help folks hit hard by layoffs and financial instability caused by COVID-19, we recently added a Wednesday to-go lunch service that includes walk-up and drive-thru options. We also began delivering meals offsite to RV residents and low-wage day workers.
3. Since January, we've more than doubled the number of free meals we provide. Each week we distribute over 500 free meals to hungry seniors, adults, and kids. COVID-19 has brought folks who have been laid off and families to Hope's Corner for meals.
   
4. We provide onsite showers, laundry services, bicycle accessories, and power chargers to homeless individuals. (NOTE: Due to COVID-19, we've had to temporarily pause showers and laundry services.)
   
5. We were forced to cancel our annual "Tour de Hope" indoor cycling/spin event due to COVID-19.  The cancellation has caused a shortfall of about $5000 in planned fundraising.

Profiles of Hope

Alfred was born and raised in San Jose and had a 20-year career in the Army. Afterward, he worked as a service technician for a copier company, but he was laid off after about 11 years. Then he was evicted from his apartment. He’s been on the streets for seven years and has been coming to Hope’s Corner for about six years.

“I can’t say enough about the friends (at Hope's Corner) who help us. I can get food, water, and clothes. All the friends I’ve made and the staff I can joke around with – they help me feel human again. Sometimes it’s not so much about the food. We meet friends here. It’s a wonderful feeling to shower . . . and have a little dignity. I look at myself in the mirror and see my face is red and has a smile on it. I see that handsome 62-year-old guy!”

Kim is taking classes toward a certificate in web development at a local community college. A few years ago, she had a job in the insurance industry, but she took a couple of years off to take care of her father before he passed away. For over a year, she’s been living in her car. When shelter-in-place orders were imposed, she had no place to charge her laptop and phone, which she needed for her classes. She thought she might have to quit taking classes until she found Hope’s Corner, which provided her with a donated power charger. That’s when she started coming for breakfast and a shower.

“I was in a tough place and had nowhere else to turn. I called around and spoke to someone who recommended talking with Hope’s Corner about my charging issue. I called and got Leslie (Hope's Corner's president). She was so nice. It was like talking to hope. And, sure enough, she came through (with a power charger). I would have had to drop out of school. You don’t know how grateful I am. So, when I got my temp job, they asked for a point of contact. I put down Leslie and Hope’s Corner.”

Stacy has been coming to Hope’s Corner for about nine months. Originally, she worked as a nanny/governess until she was in an auto accident. That’s when everything went downhill. She had a part-time job with a hotel chain until business dropped off due to COVID-19. These days Stacy sleeps on the streets where it’s becoming hard to find places to be left alone. She hopes to go back to work soon and get housed, either locally or out of state.

“Without Hope’s Corner? Oh my gosh. It would be a lot different. Hope’s Corner has been a huge help for me, to get a shower and a hot meal. Especially during COVID-19, it’s not easy to get a meal because places are closed. Hope’s Corner has helped with other resources too, like a bike helmet, water bottle holder, and phone.”

The need is great, but not greater than Hope's Corner's compassion and dedication to providing dignity and a hand up to folks who are hurting. We appreciate your help!

Hope's Corner is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit that does a lot with a little. We exist thanks to a great bunch of dedicated volunteers and donors.