My heart is so full of gratitude and wonder.
I had the great honor of spending the past few days with my friends from Hope Heals. It began with a beautiful dinner/fundraiser on Sunday night. We celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Hope Heals and also the 15-year anniversary of the day that Katherine lived.
If you aren’t familiar with the story of Hope Heals, it emerged out of the tragedy of a young woman, Katherine Wolf, suffering a massive brain stem stroke at the age of 26 with a six-month-old baby. Katherine lived and she persevered through years of rehabilitation and multiple surgeries.
Jay and Katherine recognized that the massive spiritual and social support they received after the stroke was not available for so many other people going through similar situations, and so they founded Hope Heals. Their vision is to “make hope accessible to people of all abilities.” Right now, they do so through three weeks of summer camp, beautiful merchandise, and content that includes books, a podcast, and a deeply thoughtful and true newsletter. Soon, they will open a coffee shop called Mend, a community gathering center that will both employ and welcome people with disabilities. (See the photos below for a glimpse of Mend in the making!)
I’ve gotten to know Jay and Katherine over the years, first through a mutual friend and then through our own participation at Hope Heals camp, and now as a board member. The dinner on Sunday night was followed by two days of gathering as a board to continue to clarify the mission and vision and goals of this ministry, a treasure that was born out of suffering and has become a gift of honesty, humility, hope, and healing to the world.
My heart is full of gratitude and wonder that I get to play a little part in bearing witness to this beauty.
More with Amy Julia:
- Our experiences with Hope Heals
- Penny’s Take on Hope Heals
- Hope Heals: Partnership of Hope and Healing
If you haven’t already, you can subscribe to receive regular updates and news. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Goodreads, and you can subscribe to my Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
