Welcome to Hands of Hope Ministries (HOH)! If you are new to HOH let me give you a little background: At Hands of Hope Ministries, we strive to reach out to individuals who live with mental illness by meeting their relational, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs through various avenues.

In 2007, Hands of Hope Minsitries began two food banks located within Centerpoint Health, a community mental health agency in Cincinnati, from which individuals who live with mental illness can get food through their case workers when they have emergency food needs. Since January of 2007, we have had the privilege to donate almost $30,000 in non-perishable food items to these two food banks. We have also provided approximately 900 coats during the winter season and holiday meals for those who live in poverty. We hope to continue to expand this outreach and develop others.

Our motivation for founding and developing HOH is to reach out to a group of individuals who often have been ostracized from their families as well as their socety and their religious community. As HOH develops, we desire to purchase several homes in which individuals who live with mental illness can have adequate and safe housing. We also desire to develop programs to develop independent living skills to assist individuals in seeking and maintaining employment, finishing educational needs. Most importantly, we want to build relationships with these individuals that results in which they are able to give and receive value.

Looking Back From Steve's Perspective

July 2010: This month will be there 3rd anniversary of the first meeting of the board of trustees of Hands of Hope Ministries. Although, we had started reaching out to individuals who live with mental illness in January of 2007, we decided that it would be important to organize and become an "official" non-profit organization. This led to the first official board meeting and finally incorporation on August 15th, 2007.

A lot has happened in the 3 short years of our existence. We have established two food pantries to feed individuals who live with mental illness and live with food security issues. Additionally, we also supply bread every week to two other local food pantries who serve those who live in poverty as well as delivering bread to a local apartment complex in which senior citizens whi love in poverty reside. I have also had the opportunity to hold a 4 hour seminar on ÒFaith's Response to Mental IllnessÓ in a local church and have been invited to speak and write several times on issues of spirituality and counseling.

Looking back, I am amazed at how much God has already done through Hands of Hope. God has touched the lives of hundreds of people, both recepients and professionals of the mental health system. With what God has done already in the short time we have existed, do we have any doubt what God will do in the future? I don't. I just want to go along for the ride and partner with God in fulfilling His vision for Hands of Hope. To Him be all the Glory!!!

Hands of Hope Board of Trustees

Steve Stuhlreyer - President

Troy Pennington - Vice-President

Rudy Forsberg - Secretary

Kim Duffey - Treasurer

Chris Beard - Member