Sherman, 29, once lived in a nursing home after enduring two heart transplants, a stroke and oxygen deprivation. Although the Norfolk resident is legally blind and has mobility issues, she now lives in her own apartment thanks to the Hope House Foundation.
Take 2 minutes and 55 seconds to watch this video about Kristina and you will be glad you did. In it you will get a glimpse into the remarkable life she is leading because of help from Hope House.
Hope House has received Hampton Roads Community Foundation grants to help buy 13 apartment complexes for clients and other community members. Their residents include the 125 adults with disabilities Hope House staff members help live fulfilling lives surrounded by all kinds of neighbors.The community foundation also manages Hope House's endowment.
"Inclusion is a very basic citizen desire," says Lynne Seagle, Hope House executive director. The organization she leads is renowned nationally for making sure citizens with disabilities are part of a broader community.
(The Hampton Roads Community Foundation is a regional community foundation started in 1950 as the first community foundation in Virginia. It is among nearly 750 community foundation around the country serving specific geographic regions. It is the largest grant and scholarship provider in southeastern Virginia and manages more than 400 charitable funds created by donors from all walks of life. Over the decades it has provided more than $195 million to improve life for residents living in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, including the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Smithfield, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. It also serves people in Isle of Wight and Southampton counties and the Eastern Shore of Virginia, including Accomack and Northampton counties. Learn more at hamptonroadscf.org. You can click here to locate a community foundation near you. )
