• Word of mouth
• Community Outreach from HIM
• Referral – Church
• Referral – Judge (court employee)
• Signage (e.g. yard signs)
• Social Media
• Social Agency
• Flyer/postcard in the mail
• TV commercial

During the year, HIM has six class cycles, and the recruiting takes place between every cycle. December is a time to reflect on what works and ways to improve in the coming year.

One of the most effective recruiting methods is when a graduate whose life has been transformed becomes so invested in HIM that (s)he becomes a recruiter.  These graduates bring passion and credibility to the recruiting process, and as HIM becomes more established in a community, more of the word of mouth recruiting happens organically.

Another effective method is the face to face outreach from HIM teaching staff.  During the two-week teaching break between class cycles, HIM career and life coaches staff get out in the community and recruit in a combination of places, including: shelters, public housing neighborhoods, food distribution events, parole board meetings, etc. This method takes time, and our team always learns more about the community when we get out.

Throughout the year, the classroom and community relations staff are building relationships with agencies, non-profits, court employees, etc. and hosting on-campus tours and meetings to raise awareness and build a network of multipliers who refer individuals to the HIM program.  This work is slow, steady, and productive.

There are lots of ways to get involved as a volunteer to help HIM recruit students.  We would love to hear from you. Click here if you are interested in helping HIM recruit!

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Broken Past

Laneisha came from a domestic violence past and that included several broken relationships. She has given birth to 10 beautiful children, but was not healthy due to her broken past and current addictions. She did not have custody of any of her children due to her lifestyle. Her struggles began at an early age of 14 years old when she gave birth to her first child but also found herself trapped in an abusive relationship. This abusive relationship continued and she did not leave this abuse for several years because it was all she knew. When she did leave she only found the cycle repeat itself with another broken relationship. To add to her struggles, she witnessed a close loved one die from a drug overdose, which can leave lasting scars.

A New Hope

Laneisha began to write a new chapter in her life on January 2, 2022, as she started the Hope Inspired Ministries Class 2022.1. The biggest lessons that she said she learned were how to be honest, basic life skills, anger management, resume building, how to save money, communication skills, and respect for herself and others. At the conclusion of her class, she interned with Waffle House and was eventually hired!

She said all of the skills she learned play a huge role in her everyday encounters with customers. On several occasions at work, she has faced difficult customers who were clearly having a bad day. She used her newly-learned communication skills and would find herself offering them encouragement. She has found that her encouragement has the power to change their day and set their life back on track! 

Laneisha is now one year clean and sober, a shift supervisor at Waffle House, and received full custody of her youngest child on December 8th. It’s never too late to get your life straight and be the person you were called to be – Laniesha was called to be a great mother!

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Luckily, God had some of our team members out in the community recruiting students for our next class at just the right time in Jeffery’s life! While in his state of hopelessness, he ran into some of our career coaches who were out in the community recruiting students for our next class. They were at a frequented convenience store in the community delivering hope by giving out information on our next class. Jeffery was impressed that someone came out to his community to recruit him to their program.

He signed up on the spot in the convenience store parking lot and his new story in life began! While in Hope Inspired Ministries he learned to Trust God and keep going no matter the issue, we called it “Trusting the Process”. He also learned good communication skills which have extremely helped him in his current job at Food Outlet. He lacked the communication skills needed to excel on a job, but he is now able to make a positive impact through his employment interactions.

Jeffrey said he loves his new HIM family so much that he is helping others now by recruiting them to join HIM, he said “I am spreading the word about HIM”. He has clearly seen a change in his own life, but truly values others who have seen the positive change. His mother said, “He’s a whole lot better now after going through the HIM Program.”

Transportation is a continued barrier in Jeffery’s life as he continues to work on getting his driver’s license. But in HIM fashion of eliminating barriers, a generous donation allowed him to have his very own wheels through a bicycle. He is now able to ride to work even when public transportation is not running, which turned into a six-mile round trip walk. Keep living your God-given purpose, Jeffery, and the sky is the limit!

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One of the biggest obstacles that Vickie had to face was overcoming her past and truly letting it go. She has a history of addiction, a criminal record, and sadly, even lost custody of her children. She struggled to forgive herself, and like many others, she thought she had completed that journey, but the Lord showed her that she still had room to heal.

Vickie formed strong bonds with everyone at Hope Inspired Ministries. From Angelicia, Brandon, and Dana, her instructors, to John Bowman, Executive Director. The encouragement she received from the H.I.M. staff, along with her family and classmates, helped her through the six weeks of class.

Vickie is completing her internship at Friendship Mission where she is making a difference in many lives. We would love for you to join us to celebrate Vickie and the rest of her classmates at graduation. They will be sharing stories, just like Vickie’s, and hearing how much they’ve changed will change you.

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Keith is now a full time employee and has a bright future ahead of him. Before Hope Inspired Ministries, he described his life as “cold, dark, hopeless.” He now sees his life as “warm, happy, and successful.” He is incredibly grateful for his mentor and how he pushed Keith to be a better father. Keith feels that having his children see him graduate and walk across the stage shows them that success is possible with hard work and dedication. His biggest take away from H.I.M. is not being afraid to fail and knowing that the world is full of endless possibilities. “If you are in a bad place in your life and are ready for a change, Hope Inspired Ministries is where you need to be.”

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Many of our students’ success stories are made possible because of this partnership. For instance, H.I.M. Class2021-2 graduate, Karlee Hollon, struggled with addiction in her past. Because of Sober Living and her dedication to the Hope Inspired Ministries program, Karlee is now sober, successful, and happy! Karlee came to H.I.M. ready for a life change, and together, we guided her towards a new future with unlimited possibilities.

We caught up with Karlee recently to ask what she learned from her time in the H.I.M. class. “Being in the classroom with 20 other people taught me that no matter what a person’s background is, anyone can make mistakes, and everyone needs a helping hand. Being with the other students helped me feel like I was not alone.” Additionally, the instructors showed Karlee the potential she has to be more than her past, reminding her, “Your past does not determine your future,” which is a line from our H.I.M. pledge.

Karlee wants to encourage anyone who may be interested in our program to apply today. Before Hope Inspired Ministries, Karlee could not keep a job and was living an unsustainable life. After graduating from our program, Karlee now has two jobs, friends, and a support system that helps her with every day life. To this day, Karlee still keeps in touch with her H.I.M. mentor, who calls frequently just to remind Karlee that she is loved.  Karlee says, “The life skills I learned in this program push me to be a better person, and for that I am so grateful.”

Thank you, Karlee, for sharing your journey with us, and thank you to Shoot for Life Sober Living for your wonderful partnership in serving this community. If you would like to learn more about how you can partner or volunteer with Hope Inspired Ministries, please contact the Community Relations Specialist for the campus near you.

Birmingham: MeLeah Bennett – meleah@hopeinspiredministries.org

Lowndes & Montgomery: Joleen George – joleen@hopeinspiredministries.org

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At Hope Inspired Ministries, our wonderful lunch providers make sure that our students do not have that fear. Every day, our students come ready to learn and better themselves.

Mirage Memmer, one of our faithful lunch providers, has supplied several meals for our students and staff
members. She also gave our previous class “Blessing Bags” which contained goodies and supplies to help them during their internship period. We are so thankful to have volunteers like Mirage that go above and beyond in supporting our ministry.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with us, providing lunch is a great way! There are several ways to help, and you can choose the option that best fits your schedule and lifestyle. Some volunteers bring a homemade meal. Others order food to drop off, and some have it catered to our office. Regardless of the path you choose, our students will leave us with a full tummy and a full mind because of you.

If you would like to provide lunch to our next class, please complete our volunteer form here. For some students, it may be the only meal they have that day.

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