Our Mission at Community Hope Center in Bethalto, IL

COMMUNITY HOPE CENTER IS WHERE HELP AND HOPE ARE FOUND IN JESUS.

Since 1988 CHC has served individuals and families experiencing financial hardship, whether their circumstances are temporary, short-term, or long-term. We help by offering groceries, clothing, toiletries, household items, prepared meals, haircuts, and other services free of charge. We share hope by extending friendship, compassion, and encouragement to our clients each time they visit.

Our desire is that all who come to Community Hope Center will experience the love of Jesus through our actions. We do this by emphasizing five core values that are central to Community Hope Center’s mission.

I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and Earth.
Psalm 121-1-2

CORE VALUES

Christ-centered

We look to Jesus as our unifying and central purpose: to follow His example of love and compassion. We rely on God’s guidance and provision for the ministry, recognizing that the help we provide does not come from ourselves, but from the Lord. We encourage everyone to recognize Him as the source of all help and hope.

Our volunteers and staff strive to embody Jesus’s concern for the poor and the hungry, His compassion for the seeking and the lost, and His love for all. We want to demonstrate by our actions and our attitudes the abundant joy and peace that comes from knowing Jesus and learning to trust in Him.

Dignity of all people

At CHC we strive to treat our clients the way that Jesus would treat them – with love and compassion – which we try to reflect in the way we provide services. We believe that in treating people with dignity, we are affirming that they have a place in God’s kingdom and a reason for hope.

Hope

Hope is the key ingredient in facing our circumstances and the unseen future with a purpose and partnership with God. Without hope, the help CHC offers is merely a handout. With hope, help is a divine two-way connection in which God is glorified by fulfilling our needs as we strive to serve Him.

Community

We are stronger when we are in community with one another. From the very beginning, CHC’s ministry has been supported by community, and our goal is to be a blessing to the community as whole, not just those in need. Our ultimate goal is to help people in difficult circumstances, so that they may then go and help others. We often hear from our donors, “We are giving to you because you were here for us when we needed help.” CHC seeks ways to encourage this idea of giving back to the community. We believe that every member of our community – whether a volunteer, guest, donor, board member or staff member – has something to give and something to gain by being a part of CHC.

Service

Without our volunteers’ willingness to serve others, we simply could not do what we do. But service is about so much more than volunteering time and energy to get a job done… When people give of themselves they are strengthening their community, they are helping their neighbors, they are loving others as themselves. While loving Jesus is not necessary to serve well, loving Jesus well compels Christ-followers to serve others.

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