Home of Hope Vinita

ome of Hope is located in Vinita, Oklahoma and works with men and women with intellectual disorders originating in childhood. These individuals’ needs range from 24-hour, on-site, extensive personal care to those with the ability to function more independently in their surrounding communities with training and support.

Men and women with disabilities have the same hopes as non-disabled people: hope for the same sense of belonging, opportunity, and independence. Home of Hope has grown into an organization that provides residential, vocational, and educational opportunities to 271 individuals in five counties in northeast Oklahoma.

Home of Hope navigated the endless waves of illness and health risks, constantly changing regulations, continued revenue loss, and extraordinary staffing shortages since the onset of COVID-19 in 2020. Sarkeys Foundation awarded Home of Hope with a $30,000 grant in 2022 for general operating support to help the organization continue to accomplish its mission of empowering people with disabilities despite ongoing challenges.

One of Home of Hope’s biggest “win-wins” is its substantial involvement in a wide range of recycling programs that benefit the environment while also creating sustainable jobs for men and women with intellectual disabilities. In a given year, nearly 2,000,000 pounds of cardboard alone are kept out of landfills by Tim and other clients who participate in everything from pick-up routes to sorting and baling before the cardboard is shipped out. Funds from all of Home of Hope’s recycling efforts are used to support jobs and vocational training for Tim and other people with disabilities.