Our story:

The idea of establishing a new ministry in the community was first considered in 1993 by members of St. Paul's United Church of Christ. After a thorough study and assessment process, it was concluded that a counseling ministry, along with support groups, seminars, and other resources would be a valuable asset to the community. In the summer of 1996, representatives of all Solanco churches were invited to attend a general interest meeting along with an invitation to participate in the planning and vision of the ministry.

In 1997, the name New Hope was chosen, the board of directors was organized and covenants to support and partner with New Hope were received from the following churches:

• Faith Reformed Presbyterian

• Memorial United Methodist

• Mt. Eden Lutheran

• Mt. Vernon Mennonite

• St. Paul's United Church of Christ

Over the years, the network of churches who support New Hope has continued to grow and unify the work of New Hope in our community.

The Community Closet:

In 2004, the New Hope Community Closet was started at TownsEdge as a means of providing funding to support the counseling ministry. Today the Community Closet is so much more.  Deep friendships and relationships form between staff, volunteers, and regular customers.  Shoppers are able to find high-quality, low-cost clothing and household goods, and the Community Closet is able to bless other non-profits with financial support and access to free clothing for their clients.

New Hope in the Community:

New Hope has been actively involved with numerous programs that support the mental health and wellbeing of the Solanco community including the Strengthening Families program and the Solanco Family Life Network.  More recently, New Hope begin a partnership with The Oaks Ministry in Oxford providing counseling to women who are residents at their homes.  New Hope has begun a partnership with Solanco School District offering counseling to students at Solanco High School. Support groups such as a grief support group are offered by New Hope counselors at no cost to participants.

New Hope Counseling Today:

A full-time counseling supervisor, who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, has been added to the New Hope staff. New Hope has implemented an Electronic Health Records system that is HIPAA compliant and allows counselors to offer telehealth counseling sessions. One of New Hope’s counselors is fluent in Spanish so counseling can be offered to those in the local Latino community.  New Hope is able to see individuals, families, and children (age 6 and above).