Our Successes
“Our home was turned into a B&B”
Meet Gabby, mother of two twin 12 year old boys, Myles and Lucas. This wonderful local family of three stayed with us at the House of Hope while they sought affordable housing. The home they were renting is being turned into a B and B.
Mom Gabby works hard while she awaits the plumber's union opening this summer. Her two twin boys, Myles and Lucas, attend Middle School where they are in the seventh grade. Both boys love football. Both musically inclined, Lucas plays the clarinet and Myles is a trombone player.
They since have moved into affordable housing and are located on south Whidbey, so the children could remain in their current school and Gabby is still working here locally!
“All we needed was a little step, like a home base.”
Donna and Richard were guests at both our Haven Emergency Shelter and the House of Hope. When they first arrived, they felt pretty down on their luck, continually running into roadblocks with jobs, housing, even veteran benefits. The Haven staff worked closely with them, with shelter manager Krystal providing outside support, and frequent check-ins to make sure everything was on track. Richard and Donna worked very, very hard to better their situation.
Director Jonathan and Shelter Manager Krystal worked very hard to get Richard and Donna into the House of Hope in time for them to have Christmas in their own space.
At the House of Hope, they quickly began working with south end staff Residences Manager Ashley and Operations Coordinator Tanya on their goals. Since then, Richard and Donna have moved into their own housing, and have a very bright future with a great career path. “We learned how to be a team, which helped us with our new job. They love how we work as a team. All we needed was a little step, like a home base. We thank you for that and we greatly appreciate you taking a chance on us.”
Tanya Stager-Gran
Meet Tanya Stager… now Tanya Gran, a past guest at the House of Hope and a former Coalition Board Member. Tanya, her husband Christopher, and their 5 girls, between the ages of 3 and 14 came to the House of Hope after involvement with Child Protective Services. Facing medical obstacles, substance abuse recovery, and the disappearing affordable housing for families on Whidbey Island. Tanya fought to return to the Island so her family could use the resources offered by the House of Hope. Her family took full advantage of mentors, resources, and consistent in-house staff at the House and worked tireless to find permanent housing and thrive in their hometown community. Tanya raved about the intimacy and kindness of her new circle of support. At the same time she and her husband have been inspired to give back with their time and support several times a week to the House of Hope. Tanya is now an inspirational advocate for families and individuals on the Island.
Ashley Rowley
Ashley, the Residential Guest Programs Manager for the House of Hope. She moved to the Island with her family with a mission to help others through direct service. She comes from a social work background and finds joy and fulfillment in helping Islanders who have found themselves without sustainable shelter or housing.
Ashley provides a sense of family, support, and wraparound care that is desperately needed for those who have gone through the worst of times. Many past and current guests cite Ashley's warmth and reliability as the grounding they have needed to be successful.
Ashley in turn loves the unpredictability of the work and the deep, personal connections she has made with guests. She is at House of Hope most days of the week, empowering families to build their own successes to permanent housing. She maintains relationships with guests well past their move-out date, ensuring that they continue to be successful. Ashley's compassion and dedication make her one of WHC's heroes.