At Hope Church, we believe God’s peace and justice are intimately connected with our faith and our lives together. We have been called to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned. We believe justice is prophetic, relational, active, and always challenging us – as individuals and society – to become what God is calling us to become. Justice is about working hand in hand with Jesus to help “make society right." To this end, the Hope Church community strives to educate, support, advocate for, pray for, and serve our neighbors in Boston and beyond with open minds, open hands, and open hearts.

Hope Church has a Fast-Track Grant program to provide support to various organizations in our community and beyond. We have ongoing service commitments to the Roslindale Food Bank and hopeFound (serving homeless people and those recovering from addiction). We join with other churches in the service activities of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization. Finally, we're always open to new initiatives in the areas of social justice and community service.

Here are the details of our various projects, including ways that you can get involved. To begin participating in any of these efforts, contact our Social Justice team at socialjustice@hopeboston.org or call the church office at 617-522-0600.

Fast-Track Grants

Fast-Track Grants are an expression of the richness and diversity of Hope Church's social justice commitments, and a way to support and encourage participation in God's peace and justice. If you are a Hope Church Covenant Partner (anyone who has joined the church), Hope Church wants to support a cause that matters to you. Our fast-track grant program provides a quick and easy process for requesting a grant (of up to $500) for social justice work. A grant may support a nonprofit organization, contribute to an event or activity, or provide help to someone in need. Grant applications are available on the partners' page of this website.

Roslindale Food Bank

Roslindale's only Food Bank is located in our building, and for years has been operated with vision and compassion by Roslindale Congregational Church, our host and partner in ministry at 25 Cummins Highway in Roslindale Square. This is a concrete opportunity to take part in God's work of feeding the hungry, loving our neighbors, and learning more about poverty and hunger in Roslindale and beyond. Ways you can get involved: help provide food; volunteer to stock shelves, distribute food, or otherwise provide logistical support; help raise awareness about hunger in Roslindale, Boston, and beyond.

hopeFound

hopeFound (formerly Friends of the Shattuck Shelter) works to end homelessness one person at a time by providing programs and services that help men and women achieve self-sufficiency and secure permanent housing. Another concrete opportunity to take part in God's work of providing shelter and refuge, loving our neighbors, and learning more about poverty and homelessness in Boston and beyond. Ways you can get involved: participate in events with the Kitty Dukakis Treatment Center; serve dinner or bake desserts; participate in fundraisers; help raise awareness about homelessness in Boston and beyond.

Greater Boston Interfaith Organization

Hope Church is a member of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO), a dynamic, broad-based effort to coalesce, train, and organize the communities of Greater Boston across all religious, racial, ethnic, class and neighborhood lines for the public good. Right now, GBIO is organizing citizens of Boston around the issues of health care, elder care, and youth safety. If you are interested in any of these issues, inter-faith cooperation, or participatory democracy, GBIO is an organization for you! Ways you can get involved: attend GBIO events with others from Hope Church; support GBIO's issue campaigns by collecting signatures for ballot initiatives, calling senators, hosting or attending small group meetings or workshops, etc

Start something new: be a Social Justice Advocate

Besides our existing projects, we are always looking for new ideas, dreams, and visions, and for people who can take the initiative to make them a reality. If you want to be Social Justice Advocate by starting a new social justice campaign at Hope Church, here's what's typically involved:

• Making at least a 6-month leadership commitment. Shorter periods will be considered for more time-limited campaigns.
• Recruiting another Advocate to share leadership responsibilities.
• Organizing at least 2 events. These may include discussions, educational workshops, public demonstrations, fundraising walks, service events, etc., and they may take place at the church or elsewhere.
• Recruiting a significant number of other people who agree to support and participate in the campaign on an ongoing basis.

When an Advocate accomplishes these basic goals, his or her campaign (the issue, organization or project) becomes part of the life of the church. If you're interested in getting started in this role, contact our social justice team.