Funded Partner Spotlight: Hope Villages of America
In the next few months, Hope Villages of America will expand their work to South St. Petersburg, offering culturally responsive services to BIPOC women experiencing domestic violence.
“We’ve got decades of experience doing this work, we’re here to make a difference and change people’s lives,” said Hope Villages CEO Nick DiCeglie. “We’re honored and privileged to have the ability and opportunity do this work in St. Petersburg.”
Hope Villages of America’s mission is to provide hope restoration with dignity to those in need through innovative programs and services. They carry out their mission in three primary ways:
- They have a food bank in Clearwater through which they distribute six million pounds of food each year to other food banks and pantries throughout Pinellas County. They also serve 6,000 food bank guests directly at that location, offering guests two to three days of food once a month.
- They offer domestic violence services primarily in Clearwater; they operate a domestic violence shelter, handle tens of thousands of domestic violence calls through their hotline, and offer outreach services, advocacy, school-based education, and more.
- They offer affordable housing through two properties offering roughly two dozen units.
Through a 2024 grant awarded by the Foundation in collaboration with Bayfront Health, the group will bring its domestic violence work to St. Petersburg, working primarily in Jordan Park to deliver culturally responsive services to BIPOC women experiencing domestic violence.
“We’re prepared to provide comprehensive services for women and children including emergency shelter, safety planning, legal assistance, counseling, medical support, financial assistance, career services, relocation assistance, and more,” DiCeglie said. “When this opportunity arose, we jumped at it. We’re excited to see a need and be able to make a significant impact in people’s lives.”
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, Black people are disproportionately affected by domestic violence, largely because of systemic racism and its impacts. Statistics suggest that 40% of Black women will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes.
For more information on Hope Villages of America, visit https://hopevillagesofamerica.org/ or call 727-584-3528.