faith in action

Ministry With: Community Hope Center

More than 500,000 people experience homelessness in the U.S. Many churches often help to care for our unhoused and under-housed neighbors. We spoke with the Community Hope Center, which is also working to address the systemic reasons leading to homelessness.


Two people exchange high five.

There are more than 500,000 people experiencing homelessness every day in the U.S. The leading cause of this is a lack of affordable housing. Assistance comes in a variety of ways and churches often create opportunities to care for unhoused individuals in their communities.

One ministry in Osceola County, Florida, is working with their neighbors to find sustainable solutions in ways that honor the dignity of all. The Rev. Mary Downey at the Community Hope Center told us more.

Tell us about the ministry

The Community Hope Center is a program-based project that impacts the low-income, poverty level families and individuals living in and around Osceola County, Florida. The primary emphasis is to serve those living homeless or in motels and hotels along Osceola County’s 192 Corridor. This program works to restore dignity and self-sufficiency to those in need in our community through a holistic approach to case management, funds assistance, and life skills. The mission of the Community Hope Center is to provide assistance to all of those in need in our community.

While we’re not a crisis center, we abide by a “no wrong door” policy and are committed to providing resources or referrals for those who are actively searching for assistance and who are willing to forge a path towards self-sufficiency. We see each person as a whole child of God with individual needs and experiences. 

What dream is the ministry pursuing?

Central Florida has an affordable housing crisis, and it is our dream that every family deserves to have affordable housing. Our current dream is to build affordable housing units and to continue providing wraparound services to these families to help them sustain self-sufficiency and achieve greatness.

Is there a particular moment or memory that stands out for you?

One memory that stands out for me comes from Mark, a man who we housed through the work at the Hope Center. Mark was doing an exit interview with one of our family advocates, and he said these words, “Before, people treated me like I was just a number, but when I came here, it’s not that you gave me food or even helped me find a house – it’s that you made me feel like a person, you made me feel real.” What was Mark referring to? That he was a living breathing human – with a life of value and worth – and through encouragement, his life was resurrected into something new. Through the work of our ministry, Mark persevered through all of his struggles and regained dignity, faith, and hope.

What have your neighbors (those utilizing services) taught you in doing this work?

That we have the assumption that people who are experiencing material poverty do not have a relationship with God. Our neighbors continuously teach us how much stronger their faith is and how they persevere through their struggles and are still able to embrace hope. Seeing people regain hope helps us as an agency to be reminded that there is also hope in the world as a whole.

What challenges have you encountered, and how have you adapted?

Our biggest challenge is that the community doesn’t understand that the goal of our agency is to empower people. They look at our agency and assume that we are focused on mercy ministries; that we are looking to only feed the poor and cloth those without clothes.

In reality, we want to do that, but we also want to address the reasons why they are without food or clothes. We want to bring justice to the systematic reasons for poverty. We want to do that with our neighbors who are experiencing other types of poverty in their life – not just those that come through our doors. There is a struggle to show that simply providing a handout is not enough. We believe that when we ask clients about their wishes, hopes and dreams, it does not include going to a food pantry every day to feed their family.

What advice would you give to others who are working to be in ministry with?

People are called into the ministry of God regardless of their vocation. I would tell people looking to go into ministry to connect to where God is calling you and to embrace your calling. Where is it that God is calling you that bring you closer to God’s Kindom and love? That might look like working in a church or a nonprofit or it might be working as a trash collector. Whatever your calling is, you do it with the strength of God on your shoulders. 

How can people contact you if they are inspired by your ministry?

Anybody interested in serving with our ministry can contact us at moreinfo@hope192.com.