HOPE 180: Spread Hope Now opens new youth center

SIKESTON — “It’s just a God thing.”

Such was the comment made by Dana Self, director of the new Hope 180 ministry in Sikeston, on Wednesday as she and Mari Ann Moyers, director of Spread Hope Now, prepared for a public open house Thursday, March 2.

According to Moyers and Self, Spread Hope Now continues to reach out with love and empathy to the struggling individuals in the community, this time specifically youth, by launching a new ministry called Hope 180.

Hope 180 will to concentrate on assisting youth who need additional support and attention. The new ministry is located at 1041 East Malone Ave. in Sikeston, next to the Teen Challenge Super Thrift Shop.

Self and Moyers said they have noticed there are more troubled teens and young adults in the area, and they want to help those who need it by building resources or giving them help.

The new ministry is using the model of Spread Hope Now, and Hope 180 will seek to meet the various needs of teenagers in the area. The plan is to have tutoring for the kids, free play, relationship-building with trusted adults and so much more. The Hope 180 building is being filled up with ping pong tables, air hockey, foosball, a waiting area, and they are adding a kitchen and a coffee bar.

Self said her background in teaching at Sikeston schools and coaching is what influenced her to start Hope 180.

“My background is teaching and coaching; that’s what I’ve done all my adult life,” Self said. “I just went back into the school system a few years ago and realized that the problem of ‘at-risk kids’ is growing.

She continued: “We then started kind of meeting together and saying, ‘What can we do to help this population of kids?’ and it evolved into us doing a youth center.”

Self said the term “at-risk kids” is hard to define, but Hope 180’s goal is to just help all children who need it.

“It’s hard to define at-risk; we just want to help any kid that is struggling in any sort of way,” Self said. “A lot of kids don’t have a trusted adult at home a lot of times for one reason or another.

Self continued: “We hope this center provides an opportunity for great community adults to get involved in kids’ lives.”

Moyers and Self said Hope 180 is completely new and has occurred very quickly; they have just recently begun asking for donations, and their goal is to grow the new ministry’s activities.

Moyers also explained their reason for going ahead with the open house instead of waiting until the project was completely finished.

“I think the reason we wanted to go ahead and do the open house and not wait until the finished product is that we want people to be involved and see the before and after — and be a part of that process,” Moyers said.

Self agreed.

“That’s what we’ve been promoting,” Self said. “Come and see what is going on so that you can join in.”

Moyers said she looks forward to watching Hope 180 grow, and she hopes to see the new ministry grow within the next few months.

“What I’m hoping and envisioning is that we will have classes scheduled, like art classes and dance classes,” Moyers said. “Kids who think it’s in their interest can sign up for it.

Moyers continued: “But also if they have a problem in math or English or at home, that they feel like they can come in and that there will be somebody here who cares and who will help them get through that.”

Moyers and Self said the goal of Hope 180 is to connect with children and make their lives easier.

“I told someone the other day that I think that we will feel successful when we know that a kid’s life has been directionally changed,” Self said. “And that’s where the Hope 180 comes in.

Self continued: “Ultimately, we are faith-based, and we want to give them the hope of Jesus, and we want them to know that there is a source of hope available to them.”

Self also stressed the necessity of assisting troubled kids and how it helps the community as a whole.

“Everybody gets the bigger picture,” Self said. “If we help struggling kiddos that are at-risk, if we help change the direction of their lives, it benefits the entire community.”

Hope 180 already has a number of volunteers, and they are currently accepting volunteers for a variety of tasks, with plans to add additional entertaining activities as time goes on.

“We are going to have a pickleball court, and there is air hockey; we want to make it a place to have fun,” Self said.

Moyers added they are really hoping for the community to come and be a part of Hope 180 and help in some way.

“We really hope that people will help in some way, be involved in some way,” Moyers said. “Maybe some people want to give monetarily; maybe some people want to give time.”

Moyers also said volunteering and helping others really benefit individuals, which can also benefit the community.

“Not only do people’s lives get changed when we help them, but volunteers lives get changed,” Moyers said. “Because you know it gives you purpose, and it gives people hope who are going through a hard time themselves.

She continued: “And when you get to lift somebody else up and be a part of that change, I think it changes everybody.”

Hope 180 is still looking for donations for their new ministry. To volunteer or learn more about Spread How Now and the new ministry Hope 180, visit their website http://spreadhopenow.org/