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About Us

FAQs

Who are the students in the Hope House program? 

Entry into the program is based on referral of the leadership of the therapeutic community and interviews with the student himself and his family. Students are chosen through a screening process completed at the end of treatment in the TC. Hope House leadership coordinates with the prospective student and schedules entry to the next available cohort.

 

How is Hope House different from a therapeutic community or halfway house? 

Hope House is a pioneer program in Brazil. It is a second step after an individual has undergone a treatment period in a therapeutic community. Students will live in the Hope House, but it is more than a place to live temporarily. Each student will participate in classes aimed at providing opportunities for success in all aspects of life - personal, professional, financial, family, and spiritual. Counseling and mentoring are also part of the program, along with participation in the local church and voluntary service in the community. Special emphasis will be placed on addiction recovery; and maintaining sobriety is essential for a student to remain in the Hope House program. 

 

What is the program schedule? 

  • Phase I (Training):
    The student will not begin to work. He will participate in the 
     training program the entire time. 

  • Phase II (Application):
    The student will start working and, during free time, will 
     participate in the program’s activities and classes. 

  • Phase III (Transition):
    The student continues to work and participate in Hope 
    House classes and activities but with an emphasis on the transition to independent living. 

  • Graduation of Phase III 

  • Training IV (Leadership):
    It is an optional training in which the student who 
    wants to, and is selected, can participate in program leadership training and have extra responsibilities. 

  • Graduation of Leadership Group

  • Phase V (Connection - post-graduation(s)):
    The student who finishes the 
    program will always be welcome to participate in Hope House classes and activities.

 

What are the fundamental training courses? 

  • Emotional Management 

  • Ethics and Professional Responsibility

  • Finances 

  • Health

  • Life of Christ 

  • Recovery 

  • Relationships 

  • Sexuality 

  • Urban Missions

What investment does a student make to participate in the program? 

  • During Phase I, it is mandatory for the student to assist with American Cookies, or another partner organization, as a way of contributing to their personal and household expenses. 

  • During Phase II, the student starts to contribute financially to the household expenses.

In 2013, after a period of prayer and fasting, the Lord led Kevin and Benay Blume to start working as volunteers in a Christian therapeutic community (TC) in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, Brazil. They spent time visiting, mentoring, and teaching the men who passed through this establishment. Their greatest struggle was to help these men live a sober and abundant life when they returned home after their time at the TC. Kevin and Benay began to realize the great need for a rehabilitation center that would allow those who left rehab centers to have positive experiences and practical training in the real world. 

“I will... transform the valley of trouble into a gateway of Hope.” Hosea 2:15

 

Hope House will allow people to have a place to live while receiving training, education, counseling, and as they start to work. There will be an emphasis on training on practical issues such as money management, ethics and responsibility in the workplace, and family relationships. The foundation of the Hope House program is faith in Jesus Christ and His power to transform a life. 

 

The first training facility for Hope House is in the middle of renovations and the goal is to be ready to open with a pilot cohort of students by 2021.

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