When Connie Cooper walks into a home for an intake appointment, she often hears apologetic voices: “I’m so sorry, I don’t have a chair for you.” Families transitioning from homelessness to affordable housing frequently arrive to empty rooms: not a table to eat at, not a bed to sleep in, not even a chair to offer a guest.
Cooper’s response is always the same: “We understand. That’s why we’re here.”
Then she sits on the floor with them and helps them envision what their household could become.
At Full Sail Media, we’re honored to spotlight HOPE For All as our May 2026 Changemaker community partner. This month, we spoke with Cooper, Executive Director, about an Anne Arundel County nonprofit that delivers complete household setups to families transitioning from homelessness, provides school clothing to over 200 students annually, and supplies essential clothing to more than 1,000 people in crisis.
Three Programs, One Mission
HOPE For All serves hundreds of families, veterans, seniors, and individuals each year through three distinct programs addressing different stages of need.
Turning Houses Into Homes: Complete Household Setup
The flagship program accepts community donations of furniture, clothing, kitchen supplies, and household goods, then delivers complete household setups to clients without cost. Over the past five years, HOPE For All has served more than 1,700 families through this initiative.
“Most of the folks that we’re helping are coming out of homelessness,” Cooper explains. “Some folks just need a helping hand. We do have a number of seniors or those that are disabled that just need a sofa or need something additional. But most of the time, it is a family that is starting over.”
Many are single mothers fleeing abusive situations who are left with nothing. Over half of HOPE For All’s recipients are children.
“If we expect them to be nurturing their kids, they need a table, they need a bed, they need those things,” Cooper emphasizes. “If we expect them to get a job or get training or go to school, no one can do that first without waking up in a bed and having a table to eat at.”
When HOPE For All doesn’t have needed items in inventory, they purchase them. Through their “A Bed to Call My Own” initiative, all beds provided are newly purchased, ensuring every child and adult has a clean, safe place to sleep.
“I haven’t had sheets for two months. It feels weird and uncomfortable without sheets. When I get in bed at night [now], I feel comfy and sleep well,” shared Xavier, a middle school student served by the program.
Head to Toe: School Readiness
Founded by educators who witnessed firsthand how lacking basic needs prevents equal opportunity for success, HOPE For All runs the Head to Toe program serving more than 200 Anne Arundel County public school students and their family members each year.
The program provides well-fitting shoes and essentials– new underwear and socks– clothing for all seasons, and warm winter coats. These basics allow children to attend school ready to learn without the distraction and embarrassment of inadequate clothing.
“The families are really grateful. We can see how it helps improve their attendance,” notes Lisa Keough, social worker at Annapolis Middle School.
Next Step Clothing: Emergency Response
For crisis response workers, social services, and others working with people in transition, HOPE For All provides emergency clothing for those taking the next step in their lives. The program serves more than 1,000 people each year, with essential clothing available for pickup from the warehouse within days of request.
How It Works: From Donation to Delivery
HOPE For All is a Christian ministry that operates from a warehouse on Roesler Road in Glen Burnie, an operation that processes community donations and recycles them directly back to families in need. Their goal is to offer stability to people’s lives and give them hope for their future.
The process begins with donations. “We ask folks to donate to us everything that they would normally donate to Goodwill,” Cooper explains. The organization sorts through everything, pulling essentials for families first.
“We give pots and pans and dishes and Corningware and everything, all the utensils, everything for the kitchen,” she describes. “But then sometimes we get panini bakers. For those things that are non-essential, knickknacks, purses, jewelry that we end up getting as well, we can sell those.”
That’s where the twice-monthly yard sales come in. These events keep inventory moving through the warehouse while generating funds to keep the lights on and the roof overhead. Held the second Saturday and a Thursday each month, the sales feature non-essential items priced to move quickly.
The organization maintains strict inventory controls. Thanks to a grant received in 2021, they implemented a barcoding system. Furniture items are individually barcoded, while bins of household items are tracked by container. Everything that comes in and goes out is recorded in Salesforce at predetermined used values, a requirement from the IRS.
“I know exactly every family, what they received and when they received it,” Cooper says.
Certain items are always purchased new: underwear, socks, pillows, and beds. “We live off of the community’s donations, but some things we always buy new,” she explains, making sure families receive items meeting health and safety standards.
The Intake Process: Dignity in Service
Families and individuals seeking help from HOPE For All must first request a referral from one of their partner agencies or supporting churches. This might be the Department of Social Services, Department of Aging, a child’s public school guidance counselor, or one of many community partners.
When an Intake team meets with a family in their home, they spend significant time understanding what families actually need, not just what they think they can ask for. The process includes reviewing financial status, assessing space availability, and compiling a complete “wish list” of items.
She recalls a recent appointment with a father whose wife couldn’t attend. The referral said they needed beds. “We go into the house and meet with the dad. And he said this one needs a bed, this one needs a bed. But okay, show us the bedroom.”
Walking through each room, Cooper’s team helped him envision complete spaces. “Obviously, the bedroom is sleeping on the floor. You saw where everybody’s little bedroll was. You need beds. You need dressers, right? And how about a nightstand and a lamp? And how about bedding? We need bedding, right? Sheets, blankets?”
They progressed through each room, building a complete list. Afterward, sitting at the table going over everything, the father shared something that moved everyone present.
“He just looked at me and said, ‘I’ve got to share. I was praying over my kids this morning that God would bless them. I didn’t even know this appointment was even happening.’ He said, ‘You guys are just an answer to prayer.'”
Success Stories: From Homeless to Thriving
HOPE For All recently featured Gary’s story on their social media, a veteran who became homeless, was helped by Arundel House of Hope, moved into Patriot House, and finally got his own place. HOPE For All provided everything he needed to start over.
“At the time he was working at Home Depot. He still works at Home Depot, but since then he has gotten his paralegal degree and he’s interning for a lawyer,” Cooper shares proudly. “We are very proud of Gary.”
A Network of Partner Organizations
HOPE For All’s unique position in Anne Arundel County—no other organization does what HOPE For All does to alleviate furniture poverty—makes them a hub for referrals from dozens of partner organizations.
Government agencies including the Department of Social Services, Department of Aging, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Department of Health, Housing Commission, and Housing Authority all refer families to HOPE For All. Homeless services organizations including Arundel House of Hope, Sarah’s House, and Lighthouse Shelter refer clients as they transition to permanent housing. Churches not only support with volunteers and donations but also can refer families who approach them for assistance.
“We try to make sure that there’s a path for everyone. We don’t want anyone not to have a path,” Cooper explains. “I didn’t look this morning, but usually it’s over 60 families that are waiting for our services.”
The waiting list weighs on the team. “That can get burdensome sometimes when you think about there’s 60 families that are sleeping on the floor. We need to get going!” Cooper acknowledges.
Growing to Meet Rising Need
HOPE For All is currently in construction, expanding their warehouse space to better serve growing demand. The expansion addresses their biggest former challenge: space to sort, process, and store donations.
But expansion brings new challenges. “When we first added the first space, our lease was 50% more,” Cooper calculates. With additional space coming online, rent costs have increased by 81%.
They received a HUD forgivable loan to pay for construction, but that doesn’t cover the ongoing rent. “We are locked in for the next 10 years,” she notes. “Now I’ve got the space, but now my challenge of course is I’ve got to pay this rent.”
The need continues growing. Over the last three years, demand for clothing services alone has jumped 78%.
How to Support the Mission
Volunteer: Join over 100 regular volunteers who work Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday (morning or afternoon shifts) processing donations, packing orders, and running yard sales. The organization also welcomes groups for Saturday team-building volunteer sessions. A staff of 14 (half full-time, half part-time) ensures promised deliveries happen even when volunteers are unavailable.
Donate Items: Give household items, furniture, kitchenware, linens, and clothing—everything you’d normally donate to Goodwill can go to HOPE For All instead.
Shop the Yard Sale: Twice-monthly yard sales (second Saturday morning and a Thursday evening) feature non-essential items priced to move, with all proceeds supporting operations.
Corporate Sponsorship: $10,000 annual sponsorships place company logos on HOPE For All’s delivery trucks—mobile billboards traveling throughout Anne Arundel County. Additional sponsorships are available at $5,000 and $1,000.
Donate Financially: As a 501(c)(3) organization, HOPE For All accepts tax-deductible donations to ensure that people who need their assistance are served. During the current fiscal year which ends June 30, they expect to serve nearly 3,000 people–an all-time high.
At Full Sail Media, we’re inspired by organizations such as HOPE For All that understand dignity begins with basics. Their work reminds us that sometimes the most transformative gift is simply helping someone wake up in a bed and eat dinner at a table, the ordinary comforts that make extraordinary differences.To learn more about HOPE For All, volunteer opportunities, yard sale dates, or ways to support their work, visit hopeforall.us.
