Philanthropy is the art of giving back to others. It increases wellness and works to eliminate social problems such as hunger. Impacting individual communities and the world as a whole is important, and these are values we live by at Southeastern.
Giving back to others and the community is not only important, but it’s also one of our core values. We believe in giving back to and supporting the community that supports us in any way we can, whether it’s an act of service, fundraising, sponsorship, or charitable donation. One of the organizations that we believe in and support is House of Hope.
House of Hope was founded in 1984 in Stuart, Florida, as a food pantry. Volunteers saw community members suffering and decided to do something about it by opening up their homes to offer hot meals to those who were experiencing economic insecurity or homelessness.
The organization grew over the years, incorporating additional storefronts and homes. The mission of the organization expanded during the economic downturn in 2008. At this time, those involved realized providing support and tools to people in need was one of the best ways to help others overcome challenges. Therefore, they added case management services to help individuals develop their life skills, thus allowing them greater self-sufficiency and stability.
As House of Hope CEO Robert Ranieri said, “In the last five or six years, we’ve gotten into helping with life skills, things people need to be successful.”
House of Hope now helps approximately 7,000 individuals each month with financial assistance, clothing, furniture, housewares, education, and more.
“We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers,” Ranieri said. “This past year, we had about 35,000 volunteer hours.”
One of the ways volunteers help House of Hope is by stocking the food pantry shelves. These food pantries are stocked with food and other household necessities, similar to a grocery store, that have been received as donations from supermarkets, churches, nonprofit organizations, and other businesses. Clients can go to the pantry and fill up their provided grocery cart at no cost.
We value making a difference in the lives of our community, clients, and associates, and it’s our mission to support the communities we serve. As part of #SoutheasternCares, we participate in numerous programs and events and support various organizations. One of the organizations we’re proud to support is House of Hope.
Five years ago, Southeastern toured House of Hope, and we were immediately impressed with the organization and what it does for the community. Right away, we got to work, and for the past five years, we’ve supported House of Hope by printing its annual report and spring appeal mailings in addition to storing excess materials and pallets.
Ranieri said of Southeastern CEO Don Mader, “Don got involved quickly with our ask and has ramped up his support every year.”
Mader added, “We believe in House of Hope’s mission and what they do for the community.”
Another initiative Southeastern has taken on includes preparing to deploy trucks to retrieve and ship vacationers their belongings after a resort building collapsed and those staying in the resort weren’t allowed in to get their items.
Supporting the community is one of our core values and something that is very important to us, whether it is storing pallets for House of Hope or deploying trucks to help those in need. Interested in learning more about House of Hope and what’s new at Southeastern? Sign up for the next issue of our Inspire magazine today!