Sowing Seeds of Hope in Stillwater County
Motto: Neighbors helping neighbors.
Project Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was founded in 2000 as a food bank and thrift store. Over the years our services have been expanded, all in keeping with the purpose of serving Stillwater County residents in need. Emergency financial assistance (for gasoline, utilities, rent, medical expenses, and burial expenses) is another part of our outreach.
Project Hope’s food bank provides around 65 food boxes per month, and about 90 holiday food boxes at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Each year we distribute over 33,000 pounds of food across the county. We’re in the fifth year of a partnership with Beartooth Ford, called Stillwater Backpacks, which provides easy-to-prepare food for school children who might not have enough to eat over the weekend. With the help of local principals and teachers in five towns, bags of food are placed discretely in the lockers of 119 children each Friday.
In December, we offer a “Kids’ Shopping Day” where any Stillwater County student in grades K through 5 is welcome to shop for their families, and may purchase five gifts for $3. We also organize an Angel Tree program that provides gifts for around 50 families. For Valentine’s Day, we send handmade Valentine’s cards made by local children to area seniors and shut-ins. We surprise this population again with the personal delivery of a May Day basket on the 1st of May. As summer comes to a close, we gear up to meet children’s school-related needs. School supplies have become very expensive, and those who can’t afford them are able to come to Project Hope for a new backpack stuffed with required supplies and PE shoes. We also provide new winter coats, hats, gloves and boots to children who need them.
The Project Hope Thrift store serves 75-100 customers daily and is stocked with donated clothing, household items, furniture and children’s books and toys. Items are not priced and individuals pay whatever they can afford to purchase them. In 2006, we opened a sister store called Laughing Ladies where we sell consigned items and donated vintage and antique items that are priced to reflect their market value.
Project Hope is a volunteer-based organization with a small, part-time staff. Our organization is funded by the proceeds from our two stores, donations from our generous community, charitable foundation funds and grants, an annual fundraiser (join us for our 50’s Dinner and Dance on June 7th!) and rent from the apartments on our 2nd floor.
Funds raised through Columbusmtgives.org be utilized to purchase groceries for our food bank.
