Hope Meadows: The first Generations of Hope Community
Hope Meadows is an innovative residential community – a five-block small-town neighborhood where children adopted from foster care find permanent and loving homes, as well as grandparents, playmates and an entire neighborhood designed to help them grow up in a secure and nurturing environment. Residents belong to one of three groups often at risk of being marginalized in American society — kids caught in the child welfare system, families that adopt children with special behavioral and emotional needs, and retirees who are seeking continued purpose in their daily lives.
Hope Kids: A childhood at last
Each year, in the United States, over half a million children are removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. Some of these children return home, but many will remain in a foster care system that shuttles them from one temporary placement to the next. The children that come to Hope Meadows find adoptive homes, honorary grandparents, and an entire neighborhood dedicated to their well-being and success.
Hope Parents: A commitment for life
Raising a child takes an entire community of people working together who trust and empower each other by recognizing, facilitating, and utilizing each member’s talents, experiences, and energies. At Hope Meadows, parents of adoptive children make a lifetime commitment to always “be there” for their children, unconditionally offering love, guidance, and acceptance.
Hope Seniors: Reinventing retirement
Hope Meadows is intergenerational by design. Hope seniors, who serve as honorary grandparents, agree to volunteer at least six hours per week, and in turn receive reduced rent on spacious three-bedroom apartments. These older adults serve as mentors, tutors, companions and “grandparents” for the children — creating a true community of mutual care and support.
The Intergenerational Center (IGC)
The IGC is the center of social, cultural and educational activity for Hope Meadows. It houses a children’s library, a computer room, several rooms for individual tutoring, a kitchen and a large multi-purpose space. At the IGC seniors help kids with homework, read aloud to young children or help older ones to read, play cards or board games, or gather a group to go outside for soccer or basketball.
It is also the gathering place or the “hub” for community events. Every month senior coffees and community potlucks are held along with several special events, such as adoption day celebrations and the Young Ladies’ Formal Tea.