OUR MISSION

At Hope House Foundation, we believe neighborhoods and communities are enriched when everyone in them participates to the fullest extent possible. And that includes people with disabilities. We believe that citizenship should not be limited by the attainment of certain skills, but is a right that belongs to us all.

We believe that this right can only be fully enjoyed when people have as much control over their day-to-day life as possible. And that includes living in one’s own home, with one’s own name on the lease.

We believe that with the right support, even people with complex disabilities can live successfully in their own homes.

We believe in care that is customized to each individual’s needs and desires, enabling everyone we support to live a life of choice, rather than circumstance.

CHOICE. BELONGING. HOME.

At Hope House, these are not just abstract concepts. Through our services, our community participation, and our advocacy, we make these ideas reality, each and every day.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

• We believe in adapting to the needs of the people we support, rather than making them conform to ours.
• We believe that people can get all the support they need where they live, and that services should be provided regardless of changes in behavior, health, or other circumstances.
• We believe services should be flexible, therapeutic, creative, and innovative.
• We believe our work should focus on people acquiring skills that are not only practical and useful, but promote individual well-being.
• We believe that individual choice should be valued and encouraged.
• We believe that people with disabilities should be highly involved in determining the types of services that they want and need.
• We feel that the biggest difference between surviving and truly thriving in the community is to have close, satisfying relationships with friends and family.
• We believe that services and living environments should be designed and modified, whenever possible, to fit the unique needs of the individuals.

STATEMENT ON DIVERSITY

We are an agency of diversity, we are an agency of principles, and we are an agency that acutely understands that when a person, any person, is discriminated against, it destroys the very fabric of humanity. Such unfair treatment must be met with resistance, partnership and intentional understanding. We do not accept that the current situation for black and brown people is not about us, it is. We support Black Lives Matter, and we will continue to do our part in the fight for equality.

For more than 50 years, Hope House Foundation’s mission has been one of social justice for people with disabilities. Since our early days, this group of citizens has been at the bottom of the hierarchy of people who matter. People who have been segregated in institutions, used for eugenics experiments and shunned by the majority of society. Through our work, we are not only creating equality for people with disabilities, but we are also shining a light of hope for other marginalized people and communities.