Our Impact
Restoring Hope is dedicated to supporting organizations that support juveniles.
ArtForce
Supports The Pathways Program at ArtForce Iowa, which supports youth within the juvenile justice system with case management, mental health support, follow up and treatment care, life skills and helping them to heal and find their unique voice through art.
Boys 2 men Program
The Boys 2 Men program utilized the “We are Family” by Lebron James, which they added to their curriculum and allowed for discussion among the boys and issues they face.
Restoring Hope plans to provide “Becoming Muhammad Ali” by Kwame Alexander and James Patterson for their group discussions.
Restoring Hope also purchased in 2021, 2022 backpacks for the youth in both the boys and girls Drug Court programs for back to school.
Girls Drug Court & The Hate You Give
The Hate You Give has been used by the Girls Drug Court team, Too Good to Lose as part of their curriculum and discuss issues.
Books have been shared with youth at the detention center, Woodward and youth homes. One example in particular was an attorney with Drake Legal Clinic who was working with a young man in detention. He had been deemed a “bad student”. He was in detention and all alone for a weekend. The attorney brought him The Hate you Give on a Friday. When she return the next week he told her had read it 3 times and it had meant so much to him. He had all kinds of things he opened up about and wanted to share with her.
MIghty Oaks Giving Libraries
Books have been given by juvenile court teams when kids are maybe having a rough day in addition to meeting goals and or progressing towards them. One of the judges likes to talk about how he had a young boy middle school age who so liked selecting a book, he asked if he could bring one home to his younger brother.
The judge also asks that when they take a book, he wants to talk with them about it when they return. What did they like about it, how did it speak to them. This helps too to build trust and relationship and fosters a culture of genuine care and concern of their humanity vs an us vs them.
You Can Help Make an Impact by Donating to Restoring Hope
Your Donation …
Provides free books to the Drake Legal Clinic and Polk County Juvenile and Family Court Mighty Oaks Giving Libraries. Thoughtfully curated to inspire and encourage youth of all ages, books are gifted and used at adoption celebrations, to reward progress and for reaching a milestone in the Drug Court programs. Books are also shared with shelters and other juvenile home systems throughout Central Iowa
Supports Ellipsis through the Compassion Fund by providing gift cards to help normalize conditions for youth and help families access behavioral health support and counseling services. Restoring Hope provides Caldecott Winning book, After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again by Dan Santat, in Next Up Kits, which are given to youth who are in respite, shelter or who graduate from transitional/residential housing.
Supports the Boys2Men Youth Program, which equips minority youth and their families with tools to successfully complete elementary school and transition into middle school, while helping address delinquent behaviors that might lead the youth into the juvenile justice system. Restoring Hope provides books for use in their curriculum and funds to provide meals for after-school meetings and activities.
Supports The Pathways Program at ArtForce Iowa, which supports youth within the juvenile justice system with case management, mental health support, follow up and treatment care, life skills and helping them to heal and find their unique voice through art.
Funds the The Honorable Colin J. Witt “Phoenix Award” started by Mentor Iowa to honor graduating high school seniors transitioning to college and/or trade school.
Since 2020, ten youth have been awarded with $200 scholarships each and we want to increase the scholarship amount and number awarded.