House of Hope Takes Honors for Innovative Ways to Care for the Environment

STUART, Fla. – House of Hope, known throughout the community as an organization that cares deeply for people in need, has also been honored for the care it shows to the environment.

Keep Martin Beautiful awarded House of Hope the 2024 Community Impact Award at its Environmental Stewardship Awards ceremony in May. Jill Marasa of Ashley Capital, a sponsor of the event and a nominee for its own environmental restoration efforts, called House of Hope “a model for environmental stewardship through its comprehensive approach to reducing waste and conserving resources.”

Each year House of Hope distributes about 1.3 million pounds of food. Its efforts to use resources wisely ultimately rescues 614,000 pounds of food annually from going into the landfill because it’s considered “not shelf-worthy” at local grocery stores. House of Hope Thrift Shops recycle unusable clothing, linens, cardboard and household items while assisting families with the basics of living.

At its Growing Hope Farm, House of Hope uses environmentally friendly hydroponic farming techniques and employs closed-loop water systems. The fact that House of Hope has a farm for growing fresh produce for its clients is in itself environmentally sound. Composting is an integral part of its operations, generating farm feed for local farmers and ranchers. Rainwater is captured for irrigation, and the water used to clean produce in the new packing house is in turn used to irrigate the farm’s grove of fruit trees.

In addition, its Traveling Nutrition Education Garden and Nutrition Gardens in key areas of the community help teach people about growing food locally and the importance of using fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables in their meal planning.

“We made a commitment to ourselves that we would incorporate good environmental stewardship in all aspects of our business,” House of Hope CEO Rob Ranieri said. “We challenge ourselves to find opportunities to minimize our impact on local landfills, to be imaginative in how we recycle and repurpose, and to conserve valuable resources.”

Every month House of Hope provides food, basic needs, life skills, case management, financial assistance, workforce development, housing assistance, nutrition education and enrichment to more than 21,000 area residents across Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee Counties, with a mission to empower people in need to overcome hunger and hardship.

“Our environmental efforts, like everything we do, are directed at empowering people in need and improving the overall health and financial stability of the greater community,” Ranieri said. “We’re proud and grateful for the staff, volunteers and donors who take our mission to heart and create new and different ways to make a difference.”

About House of Hope

Founded in 1984, House of Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers Martin County residents to overcome hunger and hardship. House of Hope touches the lives of more than 21,000 people each month, helping with basic needs such as food, clothing, furniture, financial assistance, as well as longer-term case management services that help build life skills for a more self-sufficient future. 

The organization has service centers in Stuart, Hobe Sound, Indiantown, and Jensen Beach, with thrift stores in Stuart, Hobe Sound, and Indiantown. House of Hope’s Centers for Enrichment at Golden Gate in Stuart, in Jensen Beach, and now at KinDoo Family Center in Indiantown offer free programs, technology, and workshops designed to enhance life skills, earning potential, health, and overall well-being.

House of Hope also operates the Growing Hope Farm in Palm City and several nutrition gardens that provide sustainable sources of fresh produce for clients as well as nutrition education and vocational opportunities to the community. For more information, visit hohmartin.org or call 772-286-4673. Updates and announcements can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, and X.