Black History is not behind us.
It is breathing. It is building. It is alive in the women who refuse to be erased.
At The Ladies of Hope Ministries, we say it boldly:
Black History Lives Here.
It lives in housing keys placed into steady hands.
It lives in women trained to speak truth in rooms that once silenced them.
It lives in policy change driven by lived experience.
It lives in second chances that become leadership.
As we close out Black History Month, we continue to build forward.
HOUSING IMPACT: A Place to Begin Again
For 23 years, Lakeisha battled addiction. After incarceration, she didn’t know how to put her life back together. “Dysfunction felt normal,” she says. “I had to get out of agreement with the lies spoken over me.”
When she arrived at Hope House, something shifted. “They made me feel like I mattered,” Lakeisha shares. “Ladies of Hope didn’t just help me survive. They helped me rebuild my life.”
Through Hope House and Rapid Rehousing, she secured employment, rebuilt relationships with her six children, and found stability rooted in dignity.
This is what your support makes possible.
Read Lakeisha’s full story on our blog and see how housing changes lives. Read more
Through Their Eyes A Night of Truth in Houston
Earlier this month, Represent Justice and The LOHM gathered community at the Anderson Center for the Arts for Through Their Eyes, an afternoon of film and honest conversation.
Justice-impacted filmmakers Autumn Mason and Starling Thomas shared work confronting the impact of incarceration on mothers, children, and families. Autumn screened her powerful film on children with incarcerated parents, and Starling offered a sneak peek of Black Butterflies.
An intergenerational discussion followed, exploring how incarceration ripples through family life and how storytelling becomes resistance.
The room held truth, grief, healing, and hope.
When justice-impacted women lead the narrative, the story changes.
Thank you to everyone who showed up and stood with us.
Become a Reform Storyteller
In partnership with REFORM Alliance, an important opportunity is open for individuals currently or previously under federal supervision to become trained Storytellers/REFORMers.
They are seeking individuals who:
- Were on federal supervision
- Experienced non-violent offenses
- Faced extreme or unfair supervision requirements
- Were kept on supervision due to restitution or financial penalties
- Represent states across the U.S.
At least 10–12 storytellers (one per state) will be selected and supported to advocate for policy reform nationwide.
Target states include:
Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, Utah, Delaware, Iowa, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi.
If your lived experience can help reshape federal supervision policies, apply below.
Deadline: March 13, 2025
Apply at the link below. APPLY
Major Investment in Housing Stability
We’re proud to share that The LOHM has been awarded $300,000 over three years from Baptist Community Ministries (BCM) to support Hope House Nola and our Rapid Rehousing in New Orleans.
BCM is a respected New Orleans-based foundation committed to improving the health and well-being of the greater New Orleans community. Their investment will strengthen our ability to provide safe, stable housing for system-impacted individuals and families rebuilding their lives.
This multi-year commitment means more keys placed in hands. More women choosing stability, more families moving forward.
We are deeply grateful for partners who believe that housing is not just shelter, it is the foundation for healing and opportunity.
Make an Impact
If this month reminded you what is possible when women are supported, we invite you to invest in that future.
Your gift helps provide housing, workforce training, advocacy, and healing spaces for justice-impacted women rebuilding their lives.