Raising Hope, Inc

The mission of Raising Hope, Inc. is to provide leadership, sense of direction and opportunities for minority children and youth ages 7 to 18 years to improve academic performance, physical health and socialization skills, develop life skills, career goals, and cultural awareness.

Description:
Raising Hope, Inc provides after school and out of school time programs to children and youth in Providence, Rhode Island. Our programs include, but not limited to After School Home work Help and Life Skills /Character Education for children ages 8 to 14 years; Youth Soccer program for the Under 10 to Under 16 youth; Art and cultural programs in Ceramic Design and Afro-Caribbean Drumming; and Raising Awareness to Prevent Smoking (RAPS), a youth led community advocacy group to bring a stop or control of the sales and advertisement of tobacco products to young people.
Raising Hope collaborates with the Providence Schools Department and The Providence Public Library, the Knight Memorial Library to promote its programs.

History:
Raising Hope Inc was founded in 2003 with a vision to effect change in the lives of immigrant minority children and youth who are at risk of school drop out, early child pregnancy, drugs, cigarette and alcohol abuse; crimes, HIV and Aids. Reports have indicated that "there are more black men in prison than in college." Many immigrant families in Rhode Island are away from home to work or school on school days, leaving children without supervision and assistance homework and other life skills development.
Raising Hope, Inc was therefore registered as a Non profit organization to provide After school and out of school activities to immigrant children and youth in the West End, Elmwood and South Providence neighborhoods. Raising Hope Inc. began its first program, Homework Help and Computer Skills development at the Knight Memorial Library, 275 Elmwood Ave. Providence. By 2007, Raising Hope was providing programs at three different sites: Afro-Caribbean Drumming at the Knight Memorial Library; Home Work Help and Life skills/Character Education at the Alfred Lima Sr. Elementary School; and Youth soccer program at 3 Middle Schools, in partnership with the Providence After School Alliance (PASA). Raising Hope Inc. continues to operate the Raising Youth Soccer all year round in the West End since 2004.
In 2009, Raising Awareness to Prevent Smoking (RAPS) was formed to collaborate with the Tobacco Control Program of the RI Department of Health to educate and advocate for the control of tobacco advertising to young people in our community through schools and community advocacy, counter marketing, and participation in tobacco coalition activities.

Contact person: Isaac Ogbomo, Executive Director, (401) 648-0160, (email)

Office fax number: (401) 941-0089

Address:

66 Burnett Street Providence, RI 02907 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.raisinghopeinc.org

Directions:

From 95 S: Take exit 22 (Atwells Ave), continue secondary road to 5th sets of Light, take right by YMCA onto Broad Street. About 200 yards, Broad Street folks to left. Continue straight to Elmwood Avenue, Gas Station on your. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: Elmwood Avenue at Burnett Street, 2 minutes minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

Handicap accessible?
	Yes
Interests Served:
	Solutions for Children, Youth, Families
Does your agency accept court-appointed volunteers?
	Yes
What type of organization
	Nonprofit 501(c)(3)

Last updated on December 22, 2009