Behind the Scenes at Anchored in Hope

If you’ve been following Anchored in Hope, you may have noticed we’ve been a little quiet on social media lately.

The truth is, I’ve been building.

Over the past several months, I’ve been working behind the scenes building the tools, resources, and relationships that will help us serve families when they need us most. It may not be the most exciting work to post about, but it’s some of the most important work we’ll ever do.

I’ve been creating disaster recovery resource guides for Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Hernando counties, developing client forms, volunteer resources, and building systems so that when a family reaches out after a hurricane, flood, or residential fire, we can spend our time helping them instead of searching for answers.

I’d like to give a special thank you to the volunteers who have already signed up. You said “yes” without knowing exactly what the future would hold or what Anchored in Hope would grow into. Your willingness to step forward and serve our community means more than you know, and I’m grateful to have you on this journey.

I also want to say thank you to everyone who supported our Kentucky Derby Fundraiser back in May. Whether you attended, donated, offered to help, or simply shared our mission with someone else, thank you. Every conversation, every introduction, and every word of encouragement has helped Anchored in Hope continue to grow.

One thing has become very clear to me over these last few months: disaster recovery is never something one organization can do alone.

It takes churches, nonprofits, businesses, first responders, volunteers, and neighbors all working together. That’s why so much of my time has been spent building relationships before they’re ever needed. My hope is that when a family reaches out for help, those connections are already in place, allowing us to connect them with trusted resources as quickly as possible.

There’s still a lot to build, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.

How You Can Help This Month

If you’d like to help Anchored in Hope grow, I have one simple request.

Help me make a connection.

Do you know someone at a local church, nonprofit, fire department, restoration company, civic organization, or business that cares about serving our community?

An introduction can go a long way.

Every new relationship helps us build a stronger network of support for families across Tampa Bay. You never know when one conversation today could become the answer a family needs tomorrow.

If someone came to mind while reading this, I’d love to hear from you.

From My Kitchen Island

Most days you’ll find me sitting at my kitchen island surrounded by a binder, worksheets scattered everywhere, my iPad, and a printer that’s working just as hard as I am.

A quick confession… every time I write “we” in these newsletters, I smile a little because, at this stage, “we” is mostly me… for now.

But I also know “we” represents something much bigger. It represents the volunteers who have signed up, the community partners we’re getting to know, the people cheering us on, and everyone who believes in this mission. Anchored in Hope was never meant to be built by just one person.

It may not be glamorous, but every phone call, every resource I verify, and every form I create brings us one step closer to being ready for the family who needs us.

I look forward to the day when I can share stories—not about the work we’ve been doing behind the scenes—but about the families who found hope because of it.

Until then, we’ll keep building.

Thank you for following along on this journey. It truly means more than you know.

— Jennifer