Last month, Hope Springs residents shared heartfelt letters with the donors who made their homes possible. Their gratitude reaches beyond housing, it’s for everyone who’s supported this program. Today, we’re sharing one of those letters. It’s a powerful reminder of how your generosity has restored dignity, safety, and belonging across every part of HOPES’ work.
Dear Anonymous Friend,
I don’t know your name, and I may never meet you, but I needed to write this letter to tell you how much your generosity has changed and affected not only my life, but my family’s as well. When you made the decision to pay for my tiny home at Hope Springs, you gave me something I hadn’t had in longer than I care to remember, that is hope. Not just the hope that comes with having a roof over my head, though that alone meant the world to me. But you also gave me the hope that comes from knowing that somewhere out there, a complete stranger who is you happened to believe I was worth investing in.
Before Hope Springs, my life was a vicious cycle I couldn’t seem to break. Without stable housing, sobriety felt impossible. Without sobriety, stable housing was out of my reach. I was trapped in a continuous pattern that seemed to have no exit. Your gift didn’t just provide me with four walls and a door I could lock – it broke that cycle completely.
In this small space that I now call home, I’ve discovered things about myself I thought were gone forever. I wake up each morning in the same place I went to sleep, and that simple consistency has become my foundation which everything else is built on. I’ve created routines that support my recovery. I’ve found peace and quiet moments. I’ve remembered what it feels like to take care of something that’s mine for the moment.
The tiny home has given me dignity. When I meet with my counselor, when I attend meetings, when I reconnect with family members, I’m not coming from a place of desperation anymore. I have an address. I have a key. I have a space where I can focus on healing without worrying about where I’ll sleep the next night or if I will eat.
Your generosity has caused a ripple effect in my life in ways you probably never imagined. Because I’m stable, I’ve been able to show up consistently for not only myself but also my babies, due to me not spending all my energy on basic survival. I am able to focus on the hard work of staying sober. And because you believed in me enough to make this investment, I’ve started believing in myself again.
I want you to know that your money didn’t just pay for a tiny home – it paid for a chance at a completely different life. Every day I stay sober is another small victory I make in my recovery and a moment of peace I find in this space you provided. It’s a testament to your faith in the possibility of human transformation.
I don’t know what motivated you to help someone like me, but I want you to know it worked. Your kindness is actively changing a life every single day. I am not the same person I was before I had this home and I’ve been here less than a month, and I will never be that person again.
A simple thank you seems too small for what you’ve given me, but it’s offered with all the gratitude I possess. Thank you for seeing potential where I could only see problems. Thank you for investing in hope when hope felt impossible. Thank you for believing that someone like me deserved a chance.
I promise you that I will not waste this opportunity. Every day I choose sobriety, I’m honoring your gift. Every step forward in my recovery is a way of saying thank you.
A life you helped save,
– A Hope Springs Resident
