Hope’s Corner – Ten Years and Counting

October 04, 2021 | by Steve Elliott

Hope’s Corner is dedicated to providing healthy meals, hot showers, and linkages to resources to people in need in our community in a dignified and welcoming environment.
 
For 10 years, Hope’s Corner has provided meals and sack lunches to anyone who comes in, which is appropriately at the corner of Hope and Mercy Streets in downtown Mountain View.
 
Prior to the pandemic, they served nutritious sit-down breakfasts every Saturday to 200 guests. They also offered two onsite handicap-accessible showers to homeless guests two days a week. And they accepted small bags of homeless guests’ clothing that they laundered and dried, allowing guests to feel not only clean, but also fresh.
 
COVID-19 brought major changes and expansions to Hope’s Corner’s programs. In response to COVID, Hope’s Corner switched from serving sit-down breakfasts to providing to-go meals. To help those experiencing job losses and others struggling to get by, they added a Wednesday hot meal to their meal program. They also began delivering meals offsite to RV residents at five locations around Mountain View, providing meals to the Day Worker Center of Mountain View, and offering a drive-thru option for their Wednesday and Saturday to-go meals.
 
Consequently, they’re providing over 400 meals each week to vulnerable and hungry folks, more than twice as many meals as they did before the pandemic. Although their shower/laundry program had to pause due to COVID, it’s back in operation again, providing around 100 showers to homeless guests each month.
 
Although Hope’s Corner is best known for their meal and shower/laundry programs, they partner with other organizations to provide other valuable free services onsite to enhance the lives of their guests. These free services include power chargers for electronic devices, donated bicycles for transportation, flu shots in the fall, haircuts during what’s called “Spa Day”, and assistance with government benefits and services.
 
You might look at Hope’s Corner and conclude that it’s the “Little Engine that Could” among organizations that provide services to homeless and low-income individuals. With just two part-time employees, Hope’s Corner runs almost entirely on the efforts and enthusiasm of volunteers. It’s through an amazing group of dedicated volunteers who are passionate about serving others that Hope’s Corner is able to sustain and improve the lives of vulnerable individuals. Anyone who is hungry or just in need of smile and warm greeting is welcome at Hope’s Corner – no one is turned away. It’s truly where hope and mercy meet, and generosity and love abound.
 
To find out more about Hope’s Corner, visit www.hopes-corner.org. You’ll find details about their programs and services, volunteer opportunities, ways you can support Hope’s Corner, a wish list of needed items, and more. For specific questions, send emails to info@hopes-corner.org.