We extend a big thank you to Natural Awakenings Gulf Coast Alabama-Mississippi for shining a spotlight on Hope Community! We are grateful for our amazing members and partners—your support is what keeps our mission thriving and our community growing stronger together.
The story highlights the strengthened partnerships, leadership, and commitments we have developed for the year 2025 to expand our mission in nurturing unity and relationships through food, healing, and education. The article also introduces our 2025-26 board of directors, including President Susan Godwin, Vice President and Treasurer John Fitzgerald, Secretary Clarice Hall-Black, and Directors Ann Lemis, Gilbert Wright, Pam Williams, and Vickie Graham. In addition to introducing our new directors, we honor the strong leadership of former President Shawn Graham, whose dedication helped shape the strong foundation we are building upon today.
We also discuss one of our major milestones this year – our long-term lease of the historic Anna T. Jeanes School property made possible by a partnership with the City of Fairhope. The revitalization of this property will include preserving its deep African American history while providing spaces dedicated to growing food, accessing education, and gathering as a community. Readers can learn more about the rich history of the Anna T. Jeanes School by exploring We Are Here, an oral history project focused on historically Black communities of the Eastern Shore. This project is a collaboration between Hope Community, the Alabama Humanities Alliance, and the University of South Alabama History Department.
Furthermore, the article details many of our recurring events, including monthly meetings with knowledgable speakers and roundtable discussions, Food RX classes that provide affordable, healthy recipes developed by chefs and health educators, and health fairs that provide free screenings and resources.
You can learn more about our ongoing and upcoming projects in 2025 by reading the full article here.
