A Place to Begin Again: Partnering with Hope + Vine
- Lokal Design
- Aug 1
- 2 min read
Rachel Smith never meant to get into housing.
Her passion was walking alongside young women aging out of foster care—equipping them with job skills, mentoring, and hope for the future.
She founded a nonprofit, Hope + Vine, to do just that.
But one problem kept coming up: many of these young women didn’t have a home.
It was difficult for the Wake Forest-based nonprofit to serve them, since these young women often didn’t know where they were going to sleep at night.
So, Rachel came to Refuge Homes and asked if we could help.
And because of our impact investors, we were ready and able to assist.
Building More Than Homes
We at Refuge Homes strongly believe in Hope + Vine’s mission to “equip women who have aged out of foster care to live with purpose and freedom.”
And we’re proud to partner with them.
Some of our team have supported Hope + Vine since they started. And now, we’re able to support them with housing.
Through the support of our impact investors–who believe real estate can play a role in restoring lives–we built and rehabbed two duplexes in Wake County that the women of Hope + Vine now use.
We built one home from the ground up.
We carefully restored the other.
Each provides a welcoming place of stability where women who are in Hope + Vine’s program can live while they heal, learn, and become equipped to live with purpose and freedom.
The Unseen Battle These Women Face
The individuals in Hope + Vine’s program are often stepping into adulthood without a safety net.
They have no one to call when they have questions.
And most are dealing with a huge amount of pain.
According to a study in the Journal of Child and Family Studies, a large majority of children in foster care have experienced trauma, which includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect.
The study showed that approximately 85% of children and adolescents who were in the foster care system have been exposed to trauma, with approximately 52% having been sexually abused.
Healing from this level of trauma often takes a long time.
And having a home allows the women of Hope + Vine to begin the healing process.
Take Part in the Restoration Journey
Because of our impact investors, we at Refuge Homes can join Hope + Vine in playing a role in their restoration journey through our housing.
By having a safe and stable home, these women can focus on receiving mentorship, working through their trauma, and learning the skills necessary to thrive as adults.
Will you join us?
