Volunteer Online Orientation

WELCOME & THANK YOU

Welcome to Hi-Hope Service Center! We would like to extend our greatest appreciation to you. It is people like yourself that can help make a difference in the lives of the individuals we support. We admire you for wanting to share your valuable time and talents.

HI-HOPE'S MISSION

Hi-Hope Service Center supports adults with developmental disabilities by building and sustaining individual independence.

HISTORY

In 1960 the parents of six young students from Gwinnett County founded one of the first organizations in Georgia to teach children with intellectual disabilities. Under the capable leadership of Mrs.Vinie Lowry and support from many parents and the greater Gwinnett Community construction of a special needs school was completed in 1970. A special needs preschool was added subsequently. In the late 1990’s when all student programs, including the pre-school program, were integrated into the public schools, Hi-Hope became an adult only program. Dynamic initiatives set in motion in 2001 targeted aggressive capital and programmatic expansion making certain that the individuals now attending Hi-Hope Center, plus those who will move off the waiting list and into Hi-Hope's family, will receive optimal choices of services that affect their lives. Today, Hi-Hope Center carries on the founders' legacy of caring and innovation by supporting adults with developmental disabilities by building and sustaining their independence. In 2005, Hi-Hope began the philosophical shift from providing services through defined programs to supporting people utilizing person-centered strategies. To begin this process Hi-Hope applied for and was granted a 3-year $534,000 grant to implement self-determination principles from the Goizueta Foundation. These funds provided therapy assessment services and specialists in the areas of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, nutrition, assistive technology, speech pathology, behavioral supports, social work, and community activities development. During the second year of this program Hi-Hope applied for and was accepted into the Good 2 Great: Person-centered thinking program offered by the Georgia Department of Human Resources. At the conclusion of two years of training and coaching of staff through this program and at the conclusion of the third year of the Goizueta Grant, Hi-Hope was invited to apply for a second $500,000 grant by the Goizueta Foundation which began July 2009. This grant provided for a full-time employee to train and coach our staff so that person-centered principles could be fully institutionalized throughout the organization and provided the availability of our specialists to continue assessments and protocol training of staff and to develop training partnerships with other like organizations as well. Hi-Hope continues to determine methods to meet the changing needs of the 144 men and women we support especially as they age (forty-eight percent are over the age of forty) and present with increased medical needs.

FUNDING

As a private, non-profit organization, Hi-Hope depends on a variety of funding sources to fulfill its mission including revenue from State, Federal and County Governments; many agency and foundation grant funds, and fundraising and donation dollars. The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Development Disabilities.. Hi-Hope's staff is committed to participating in the community by building relationships, working, volunteering, collaborating with other agencies, caring for others and developing new programs to meet the changing needs and desires of our clients.

COMMITMENT

Hi-Hope’ staff is committed to participating in the community by building relationships, working, volunteering, collaborating with other agencies and developing new opportunities to meet the changing needs and desires of our clients.

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

Now that you have learned about Hi-Hope, you can get started on the application.