House of Hope looking for bargain shoppers to raise money for kids in need.
The non-profit’s annual rummage sale fundraiser continues through Friday. House of Hope Executive Director Denise Melton said the organization provides safe havens for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse.
“We look at the House of Hope as a way for them to just come in and relax and just be a kid for a bit while they are waiting to be placed in foster care, or in a therapeutic facility, or with a relative,” Melton said. “So this gives them some time just to decompress and just relax and have a good place to stay.”
Melton said the House of Hope does not receive state funding and relies heavily on community donations and fundraisers to continue providing safe havens for children. House of Hope has been serving the Upper Cumberland since 2004.
Melton said the House of Hope tries to do the best it can to provide care and love to the children who have suffered from child abuse and need a second chance.
“It’s emotional in that the general public just really has no idea what these children have gone through, what they have seen, what they have had to endure, and then the trauma that they carry with them, that is emotional, and also to know the uphill battle that they have, you know, ahead of them, to have to overcome that, so it is very emotional to all of our staff.”
Melton said child abuse is a major issue in the Upper Cumberland.
“We served 177 children that came through the House of Hope last year,” Melton said. “We are only one of 30 homes in the state of Tennessee, so we stay pretty full all the time, and so do the other ones, so it is a huge, it is a huge problem here.”
The rummage sale runs from 8am to 2pm Friday. The sale will feature clothing, DIY projects, home decor, houseware items, shoes, and more.
