Children’s Home Provides ‘Hope’ For Kids in Need

Paper products.

That’s the answer Stan Pittman, outreach coordinator for Hope Children’s Home, gave when asked how area residents could help the Northwest Hillsborough County facility with donations. With dozens of kids in its care at any given time, Hope is generally a bustling place where youngsters in need can find refuge from situations beyond their control.

The home that serves kids who have been abused, abandoned, orphaned or neglected, however, just got quite a bit busier. It recently welcomed 11 new children into its fold during the course of a single week. That brings the number of kids living at the 11415 Hope International Drive campus up to nearly 80, Pittman said.

Hope is a Christian-based nonprofit that provides a home for children in need from Florida and beyond. It’s an alternative to state placement.

While Hope doesn’t receive government funding, it does get a lot of support from the community to meet its mission of providing a safe, nurturing place for children to live. Through its on-site housing, school and other amenities, Hope becomes a temporary stop for some children and a true home for others, Pittman said.

Welcoming new children on a regular basis is nothing new at Hope, but getting 11 in during a single week is a little out of the ordinary, Pittman said. He added that the home has recently been accepting more babies and has always had a practice of trying to keep siblings together.

“We’ve gotten two brothers recently – one was 12 days old and the other was 2,” Pittman said. “We’ve gotten two sisters this past week.  That’s sort of a newer thing us getting younger children.”

With all the children in its care the need for assistance from the community, church groups, businesses and other organizations is constant, but Pittman said Hope is “blessed” with lots of support.

“It’s just absolutely amazing,” he said.

Pittman’s job is to raise awareness for Hope and the needs of the children in its care.

“I have a lofty goal of letting the world know about Hope,” he said.

Want to Help?

Aside from paper products – plates, bowls, knifes – the home has a long list of items posted on its website. Some of the urgent needs include:

• Cheese
• Bacon
• Butter
• Size 4 diapers
• Baby formula

To find out more, visit Hope’s website. It also accepts financial donations online.