What we believe...
Hope for Opelousas is a non-profit outreach organization rooted in the belief that God loves Opelousas and that His love changes everything. Through enrichment programming for youth and families, and providing opportunities for people to serve one another, we are working to stop the cycle of poverty.
Our vision is to see a new generation of young people become empowered individuals taking ownership for their futures and the collective future of our community.
It is our belief that God has gone before us, and by engaging in the struggle of love we are changed as individuals and can work towards restoration of others.
Our Hope...
Take a look around . . . do you notice how overwhelming our world is? Every community, reaching across every nation, hopes for restoration but is comprised of broken people. Hope is required to live in the tension of brokenness while striving for beauty.
HFO relies on and believes in a single defining principle that breathes hope into the brokenness of this world. Love changes everything. This does not mean we do not get overwhelmed. This does not mean we stop working and just start wishing.
The truth of this principle means that each item on the to-do list, each relationship, and each dream for the future is a chance to love each other. When loving takes priority, we get to see the evidence of change—in our friends, in our city, and in ourselves.
Love & Change...
What relationships have had the most profound positive affect on your life?
I would bet the answer would be something like; that time I was forgiven, that time someone stood up for me and didn’t have to, that person who committed to me for no other reason then they loved me.
Our HFO kids may think we are simply about homework, or a safe place to hang out, but we hope they are learning much more than how to become better students. During tutoring, football games, and van rides, we work to showcase the counter-cultural message of the love. When asked why he comes to HFO, one student responded with tears running down his cheeks, “because they love me.” This young man is being changed by love!
For our volunteers common misconceptions of poverty shatter as faces and names transform statistics into relationships. Getting a chance to be a part of resolutions helps us to see past our assumptions and ourselves. That’s when love is doing its’ amazing counter intuitive work, changing everyone involved. Healing and restoration are natural outcomes for all parties involved in “loving-hard long-term” relationships.
We stress long-term because as any parent knows ups and downs are part of the process, it’s commitment through these that set the stage for progress and deep relationships.
