We’re Expanding!
Being on your own, with no place to call home, is already a traumatic experience. And that is made even more difficult when you have children to take care of. As housing costs skyrocket and Covid-era housing relief policies expire, more families are finding themselves without a place to stay. Many of them being single moms. In response, House of Hope is expanding its current shelter and building a facility exclusively for women, single moms, and their children. The new expansion will be called ‘Norma’s Place’ in memory of Norma Brower – a previous Board Member for House of Hope who was a pillar of the Danville community.
Women who are experiencing homelessness are at a high risk of sexual harassment or abuse while living on the streets, so, providing a place that is shelter from more than just the elements is a key factor to this expansion. Norma’s Place will provide that shelter as well as resources for housing, substance abuse counseling, childcare, mental healthcare, and case management. House of Hope aims to be a place where our guests can find refuge, feel safe, and use as a steppingstone to get back on their feet.
Norma’s Place construction begins in June and will be completed in November. The additional expansion and renovation will almost triple our capacity, allowing us to serve more of our neighbors in the community experiencing homelessness. Keep an eye on our Social Media, website, and sign up for our Newsletter to stay in touch as our ministry expands here at House of Hope!
House of Hope – Sheltering the Homeless
We are a faith-based, temporary homeless shelter serving Danville, Virginia and Pittsylvania County. For the past 10 years, the House of Hope has provided a safe refuge for those who don’t have a place to stay and who are in need of transitional assistance. We are conveniently located in downtown Danville.
Testimonials
My name is Flora Thomas and I have been a guest at the House of Hope. The shelter has been a safe haven for me. The good people here have provided me with a safe environment where I am able to clean myself and my clothes. They provide good meals and also help with transportation for jobs. The staff here at the shelter treats you like a person with kindness and respect. I am very thankful to have been able to stay here and I am extremely thankful that I am able to stay here to get my life back on track.
I became homeless in July 2019, not knowing where I would lay my head or get my next meal. However, someone referred me to the House of Hope at which time they helped me get my life back on track.
Now I’m in the process of getting my own place and steady employment. I would like to thank the staff of David Hudson, Garry Underwood, Steve Schilbe and Dean Gusler for their valuable time and services to this community.
As a resident at the House of Hope I have been so blessed. The staff, Garry Underwood, Steve Schilbe and Dean Gusler have been so respectful, helpful and made me feel so safe here at the shelter.
All the residents and staff have been so supportive in providing resources for employment, housing, and feeling safe.
It has been a long time as a 49 year old lady that’s been physically, financially and emotionally abused in my life to be where I am today.
I appreciate everything this shelter has provided me.
Volunteering with the House of Hope has been an eye-opening and rewarding experience for me and 22 Averett sophomore students. This was my first experience volunteering at a homeless shelter and the first for many of the students. This experience provided a learning opportunity that cannot be taught or felt in the classroom, simulation, or clinical setting. We went into this experience thinking we were helping the guests of House of Hope, by providing them a nice meal and a five minute presentation on different health-related topics. Instead, they blessed us with lessons on life, hardships, hope, and how all of us can help one another. Each evening, the guests of House of Hope were eager to meet the students and share their accomplishments and challenges of the day. It has been a blessing to meet new people in our community that we would have never met if we did not volunteer. Our perspective of homelessness has been enlightened by this experience with the House of Hope.
Sacred Heart Catholic School has a long tradition of performing community service in the Danville area. Last year, I reached out to the House of Hope to ask if there was anything our 4th and 5th Graders could do for them. David Hudson responded excitedly and created a plan for the students to help with meal-planning and distribution. The students created menus based on what they thought should complete a meal, and then brought in some of those items as their contributions. Once the menus were ready, we took a field trip to the House of Hope to prepare meal boxes. This helped the volunteers who would be doing the cooking to easily grab an already sorted meal to prepare. The experience was invaluable for these nine and ten-year olds! They learned a lot about how the House of Hope supports people in our community who are trying to get back on their feet. We want to thank Mr. Hudson and everyone at the House of Hope for allowing our students to be part of the solution in our community through their helping hands.
