Opened in January 2019, the HOPE Center links HSK clients with jobs and, if needed, provides transportation to and from work for these people. To date, we have 32 former HSK clients working, some in the same job for as long as two years or more. 

 

Although the concept of HOPE is fairly simple, the execution is not! We provide HSK clients with access to resources and employment opportunities by partnering with a variety of employers, municipalities, and other local agencies. Currently, we are working with Greenway Transportation (which provides bus service to some work sites), the City of Hickory (which provides some funding for the Greenway contract),  17 separate area employers, 10 employment agencies (e.g. Manpower, Foothills Staffing), volunteers (who drive a 6 passenger van to job sites not covered by Greenway), and paid staff. 

 

Our objective is to help move HOPE Center clients from dependence on HSK and other agencies to independence. We do this by providing the opportunity for these people, most who are socially and economically disadvantaged, to get a decent job and thus begin to bring in income and to get on a path to self-sufficiency.