This summer has seen devastating storms and floods across the country, but it's been a quiet start to hurricane season. Hurricane Erin has moved away from the east coast, and thankfully, Hurricane Fernand appears to be following suit. But forecasts are saying that this could still be an above-normal season for hurricane activity.

At Hope Force, we know that now is the time to prepare for the worst.

This month reminds us of the history-changing devastation that can happen from hurricanes. August 29th marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina's landfall in Louisiana, a storm that reshaped disaster response in America and solidified our mission.

Now in 2025, we remain vigilant, focused, and ready, because when the storms come, people need to know they are not forgotten.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm. Within days, most of New Orleans was underwater, and towns in Mississippi were completely destroyed.

More than 1,800 lives were lost, hundreds of thousands were displaced, and entire neighborhoods were left unrecognizable. 💔

For Hope Force, founded just two years earlier in 2003, Katrina was a turning point. Deploying to Pearlington and then East Biloxi, MS right after the hurricane revealed both:

The immense need for disaster response.
The deep power of the ministry of presence—simply being there with survivors who had lost everything.

From that moment, Hope Force was committed to offering not only practical relief, but also emotional and spiritual care to those walking through their darkest days.

As we remember this milestone, we honor those who suffered and those who stood alongside them—and reaffirm our calling to bring hope to survivors of disaster everywhere.

HOPE FORCE HAITI

Last month, Hope Force Haiti director Rene Lako made the arduous trek to our base in Haiti, working with local contacts to bring more school supplies, food, and aid to children and their families.

The chronic need in Haiti is only getting worse as the country struggles through gang violence and widespread poverty. But because of incredible sponsors like you, we are seeing lives changed and hope restored. 🙏

Right now, more children are on the waitlist for our Haiti Child Sponsorship program. It's just $34/month to give them access to education, supplemental food, and to let them know that God loves them. We'd love if you joined the sponsor family this month. 💙

Sponsor a Child

SEMINOLE, OKLAHOMA - HOPE HOME

Construction on the Seminole Hope Home is almost finished!

This is a safe new home for Duke and Alexis and their five children, two of whom have special needs. Their home was ruined by a tornado in 2022, and they were living in it for a few years even though the city deemed it "condemned."

Thanks to generous donors and AMAZING volunteers, their new Hope Home will soon be ready, complete with a wheelchair ramp and all they need to thrive.

This has been a long project, but we are close to seeing it complete. God is faithful! Watch a quick walkthrough of the house below.

Stay Ready, Join the Mission