I truly admire the mission, staff, clients and success of H.I.M. Changing the behavior of adults is a true challenge. Many of these students come from backgrounds of abuse, neglect, abandonment, drug use and prison time. Many do not have a high school diploma, further limiting employment options. They have no skill sets to "help themselves" (as some admonish). They don't know how to interview for a job, balance a check book, pay bills in a timely manner or even communicate effectively. Simple things -- such as the value and importance of eye-contact -- are not part of the culture in which they were raised. They want to escape the lives of "quiet desperation" in which they find themselves; they simply don't know how. The 13 week H.I.M. program establishes standards and provides skills that empower these students to be independent and self-sufficient. It works. I've seen it grow over the last 2 years, and am constantly amazed at the "tough-love yet compassionate" manner in which the H.I.M. staff embrace these lost souls, and help them convert themselves into solid citizens. Specifically, I help with meals (because the lunch meal is often the only real food these students get each day) and I help with mock job interviews held about half-way through the structured program. These interviews prepare the students for real-world interviews, and they are often difficult, requiring candid assessments of appropriate attire, demeanor, confidence, articulation, eye-contact and resume gaps. It's a great investment of time, because the students DO learn that they have some control over how they present themselves, and that landing a job is dependent on more than the good will of the employer. They have to sell themselves, and, for many of them, this is a brand new concept.
I've worked as a volunteer with many agencies and organizations over the last 30 years and find the work of H.I.M. to be the most life-changing. It's an honor to work with individuals who are dedicated to long-term life healing, and not just short-term, temporary fixes to symptomatic or cyclical problems.
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- EIN 45-4501764
- 334-649-4330
- 52 Adams Avenue Montgomery AL 36104 USA
- www.hopeinspiredministries.org
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Nonprofit Overview
Mission: Hope Inspired Ministries seeks to serve the chronically unemployed by preparing them to obtain and maintain employment. We will do so in a manner that develops individual worth, encourages personal responsibility, and promotes the value and honor of work. Each student will be guided in the achievement of their chosen career through specialized classroom and on-the-job training. It is our intent to introduce a way of life that promotes the development of the emotional, physical, and spiritual maturity in each student.
Results: With 42 graduates in the past three years, 77% of our graduates are working, are in school or both.
Target demographics: People who are chronically unemployed
Geographic areas served: Downtown Montgomery
Programs: HIM provides job training to help those who are chronically unemployed obtain and maintain employment through more than 400 hours of training both in the classroom and through hands-on experience.