The Hope 3741 Ministries seeks to address a lack of infrastructure in the local Church community for people who are invisible and live in an underserved community. A lack that has led to the regression of hard-won progress. The Hope 3741 Ministries provides the development of a holistic infrastructure within members of the medical, educational and general community to produce a community that will thrive even when tragedies and transitions arise. The Hope 3741 Ministries will provide strategies in the face of historical systemic structures that have often prevented successful community restoration during and after challenging times.
Located in a two-street community called Wallisville Gardens on the northeast side of
Houston, Texas, The Hope 3741 Ministries is the nonprofit arm of Blessed Hope Baptist Church. Rev. Dr. Jacques D. Denkins, Pastor. Dr. Denkins is the fourth pastor of Blessed Hope Baptist Church, a house of worship that is now in its seventy-third year. Prior to Dr. Denkins pastorate, the church, and consequently the community, underwent divisions leaving both with feelings of abandonment, bitterness, confusion, disappointment, hurt and much pain.
Dr. Denkins has been serving the Blessed Hope Baptist Church congregation and the
surrounding community for more than ten years. During that time, both church and
community have experienced tragedies and traumatic transitions such as Hurricane Harvey.
In the aftermath of Harvey, when this community was severely overlooked, Blessed Hope sought to support those impacted families in the community.
“The remnant there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.” When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
Nehemiah 1:3-4
The Hope 3741 Ministries seeks a rebirth of the community by rebuilding and providing hope to the remnants (the people). The goal is to create a self-sustaining community that would continually give birth to long-term partnerships that produce life changing and prosperous living for all. This would breathe new hope and new life in a desert and deprived community.
The Hope 3741 Ministries believes that with philanthropic support, a partnership can be formed with church and community to embed a holistic infrastructure within the community, so that tragedies and transitions become opportunities to strengthen and grow.
The Hope 3741 Ministries is seeking partnerships to help provide services to families in the underserved Wallisville Gardens community in the northeast sector of Houston, Texas. By creating a sustainable infrastructure in this marginalized community, partners will help transform the psychological and hopeless mindset that permeates from “this is just the way it is” to hope. Ending the belief that opportunity is for others but not us.
Education
Partnerships have been established between The Hope 3741 Ministries and two elementary schools, R. P. Harris and J. W. Oates . The Hope 3741 Ministries helps to support wrap- around services with items that students need for a successful school year. For nine years, these school supplies that The Hope 3741 Ministries provides to the children, relieves the burden on parents. With help from partnerships, The Hope 3741 Ministries would like to provide a preschool for community children. Together with Harris and Oates Elementary schools, a preschool in The Hope 3741 Ministries facility would prepare students that will be
attending these schools. Support is provided to students and their families during Thanksgiving and Christmas with The Hope 3741 Ministries provided turkeys and canned goods. Gift cards are also supplied for student family celebrations. The Hope 3741 Ministries does much to support the educational needs of hardworking families from diverse backgrounds.
Our goal is to increase reach of support to these schools and families in the areas of health and hunger.
Medical
The Hope 3741 Ministries is developing partnerships with doctors from the Texas Medical Center to provide tele-medicine to our community. The Hope 3741 Ministries facility will provide the community access to these services specifically targeting preventive care for diabetes and hypertension. Both diseases highly impact black and brown communities.
Providing access to preventive healthcare services would allow for healthier and
psychologically stronger students and families in our community. Parents, like students, need healthcare assistance. Our community consists of domestic workers, homemakers, construction workers, and truck drivers. We would also like to provide basic health and hygiene education, as well as pre-natal care for expectant mothers. Additionally, we would like to provide immunizations, dental and eye care services for students and families
Community
We have parents that need additional work skills training in preparation for gainful employment.
We would like to begin to offer computer training, ESL training and SEL training. Additionally, The Hope 3741 Ministries has plans to become a test site for voting and voter registration. With many of our residents not having access or transportation to travel to more distant sites, The Hope 3741 Ministries’ facility will fulfill a vital community need.
A sustaining network of partnerships with and for our community would produce a continuous outcome of health and restoration giving the community hope.
We desire to develop green space and housing with services and in this area to provide stability to the families in the community.