Give a Gift. Make a difference.
Your generosity will help us make a difference in the lives of the youth in our community. We’ve partnered with the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines to receive donations and you can contribute to Restoring Hope in a number of ways.
Our Mission
Deliver hope and elevate Des Moines youth involved in the juvenile and family court system.
Our Vision
Transform youth in need through the power of books, art, and mentoring to help them find their voice and see their inherent worth—to promote dignity, self-expression, and positively impact our community.
Compassion Fund
Restoring Hope’s Compassion Fund supports Ellipsis and will supply gas cards to help normalize conditions for youth and help families access behavioral health support and counseling services.
Giving Libraries
The cornerstone of the foundation. Your contribution helps support youth in need through funding books for the Mighty Oak Giving Library at the Polk County Justice Center.
Mentor Iowa: Colin J. Witt Phoenix Award
Your donation will contribute funds from our foundation to continue to increase the amount of the award as well as the number given out.
Boys 2 Men
Your donation will contribute funds from our foundation Boys 2 Men to cover the cost of books as well as provide funding to cover snacks and supplies for the after school program.
Shop to Support our Mission
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.