Open Hand Ministries (OHM) partners with like-hearted organizations and individuals, such as churches, community development corporations, lending agencies, expert trade skill professionals, funding organizations, and other local support agencies. Through this collaboration, OHM’s Family Care Program works to equip families for success and homeownership, by:
- Working with local families as they become “wealth builders” through debt reduction, budgeting, saving, investing, and mortgage readiness;
- Rehabilitating vacant or abandoned properties within developing areas, transforming them into safe, sound, energy-efficient, and affordable houses for families to purchase as homes and investments; and
- Maintaining supportive relationships with the families and helping them to thrive in homeownership, wealth-building, and life.
OHM’s Family Care program has adopted the nationally recognized “Circles” model, where OHM families (Circle Leaders) are matched with Family Care volunteers (Circles Allies) to form teams (Circles) that work to accomplish a family’s goals.
OHM’s approach is unique when it comes to addressing systemic racism and generational poverty because the financial struggles of the families are almost always a result of this trauma. OHM’s Family Care program addresses relationship building, racism/genderism/classism, and community issues with our families first, and then addresses financial management within these larger topics.
The Circles community meets weekly, with dinner and childcare provided. For more information or to get involved, contact Allison Freeman at sneezemd@comcast.net or Emily Rosenthal at ejr116@gmail.com.