Check Out Hope Griffin’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hope Griffin. 

Hi Hope, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
The Hope Foundation of Cincinnati Inc started off as Project Hope Cincinnati LLC (our DBA) from my want to give back to the community. I started the LLC in February of 2020 while I was volunteering with The JoBro Foundation, I saw there was an outstanding need for personal care items. Not only were most people in need of food, but they were also in need of products to take care of their personal needs. In March of 2020, I lost my job due to COVID-19 job layoffs. But I didn’t let that stop me. I expressed my interest to my cousin Tracy and explained that I had a strong desire to help the people of Cincinnati. Tracy’s school was already in the process of working on a community give-back, and I partnered with them to make our “Bags of Hope.” And after our first Bag pass out, we received so many testimonies of how these Bags of HOPE helped them in so many ways. In August 2020, I created The Hope Foundation of Cincinnati Inc, and we became an official 501 (c)(3). As of today, we have distributed over 5,600 Bags of HOPE. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wish I could say it was a smooth road (smile). The struggles I encountered were that I wasn’t as knowledgeable as I should’ve been in regards to filing and questions to ask people that helped me start my initial applications. I would tell anyone that is interested in starting a Non-Profit to make sure you thoroughly check the people that are filing your paperwork and get references. I had to refile a lot of my paperwork. But my current hurdle is still trying to find a Grant Writer; since we self-funded, we run into a lot hurdles when I do interviews with potential donors. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We provider personal care packages to Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area homeless and underserved community members. We are known for our “drawstring” Bags of Hope. Which are personal care items that we package for men and women specific. We are also known for our Annual Purses with Purpose, where we pack gently used purses with personal care items and donate them to Women’s shelters. And Our Book Bags for Dad’s which are Book Bags or Gym Bags that we pack with personal care items that we provide to Homeless men in shelters and on the streets. 

We are most proud that we have been able to provide 5,900 personal care bags to date in 3 years. 

What sets us apart is that we consistently try to pass out 200 Bags of Hope monthly. 

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I see the Non-Profit industry growing. We have been fortunate enough that as companies have ended the year gifting our employee contributions to Non-Profits that we have been selected twice. My hope is that more larger companies open the options from picking only one Non-Profit to donate to make it several. A lot of Business chains have “giving” in their culture, and I just hope it catches on to help Non-Profits make their goals of community outreach. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.projecthopecincinnati.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projecthopecincy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectHOPECincinnatiLLC/