Hope Children’s Home Opens 1st Hope Cottage for Siblings

At a little past noon on Aug. 2, staff, donors, children, and other distinguished guests of Hope Children’s Home, a privately funded home for abused, orphaned or abandoned children, lined up to watch an extraordinary dream become reality.

Several sets of siblings, 12 in total, once separated into boys and girls dorms, were going to be reunited in the first Hope Cottage. The red ribbon that hung from the two columns in front of the cottage for the Karen Sanders Cottage Dedication was ready to be cut.

Living with your brothers and sisters is something most people take for granted. Yet for siblings at the brand new Hope Cottage, tonight will be brand-new experience.

Hailey Nales, 10, is extremely excited about her first night in the new cottage. Though she sees her brother during the day, when asked how long it was since they’d lived together, she said, “A long time.”

Besides not having to wear shoes or socks in the cottage as in required in the dorms, there is one bright, cheerful beach-themed room Hailey is especially looking forward to, “My room,” she said and smiled widely.

Kforce is a principal sponsor in the Hope Cottage and employees Crystal Irving and Cathy Beaver, Charity Champions, liaisons to Hope Children’s Home were among the special guests at the ribbon-cutting ceremony who contributed time and hard work to see the building come to fruition.

“Hundreds of Kforce associates have participated,” said Irving. “Everyone was helping prepare the first cottage, whether it was painting or cleaning up the yard, everyone was ready to help.”

On this special day, Dr. Mike Higgins, Hope Children’s Home executive director was grinning as much as the young boys and girls that investigated their new home.

“Kforce has been a force. They’ve been hands on – painting, cleaning up debris, whatever is needed,” said Higgins. “In each cottage, there will be approximately 12 children and the purpose of the cottage to allow children to experience more of a family atmosphere. The cottage will enable us to take in younger children and keep brothers and sisters together in the same house. Now we can take in children all the way down to infancy.”

To learn more about Hope Cottage and the goal of future cottages, to volunteer or to donate, visit www.hopechildrenshome.org.