Although the main focus of Sojourner Truth Ministries has been combatting food insecurity by providing meals for those who show up at their door, they are also working toward revamping and re-opening the House of Hope program which was forced to close due to financial unsustainability.

According to Pastor Angelique Labadie-Cihanowyz, executive director, there “was not a way to continue it, so it was a financial black hole.”

The House of Hope is located in a renovated house on Center Street. It originally opened just before the COVID pandemic hit, as a place for homeless women to work toward sustainability in a program undergirded by faith.

“It was just unfortunate timing with COVID and other forces,” Labadie-Cihanowyz said.

Currently there are no residents as the ministry makes changes to the program to require that participants contribute financially.

“We’re expecting that not only will they be able to pay a portion of their program fees, but also work towards paying off fines, back child support and anything like that,” she said.

Participants will be learning soft job skills, organization, time planning and interview practice, she said.

“Things like that so that we are able to help them move forward in a way that’s not rigorous but is a low barrier way for the women to contribute back,” she said.

“Our target is women who will become strong and sustainable in the community and give back and get off government programming and things like that; work and be productive women contributing back to the community that they live in,” she explained.

“Working on job skills and all that healing. There’s a curriculum we’ve identified with 63 different life skills that they can choose what to work on,” she added.

She admitted that the program also closed because of some hiring mistakes and challenges with leadership. This time they are aiming for a more cohesive program.

“One of the biggest lessons that we have learned was not to mistake passion for qualifications to a position and that’s across the board,” she said.

As they await funding to come together for the program, Labadie-Cihanowyz cautioned that they are not rushing.

“We need quality, high caliber people for our entire staff,” she said.