The Mission of Hope concentrates on serving people throughout poverty stricken rural areas of Appalachia in Southeast Kentucky and Northeast Tennessee. To accomplish our goals of providing assistance, the Mission of Hope seeks supplies, resources, monetary donations and grants from individuals, businesses, corporations, service groups and civic organizations. The Mission of Hope then distributes donated items and purchased materials to areas of rural Appalachia where they are then delivered to needy individuals and families through the support of school resource centers and local ministries, already established within the communities which we serve. The following are counties in which the Mission of Hope currently has outreach efforts in Tennessee: Campbell, Claiborne, Hancock and Scott; and in Kentucky: Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Harlan, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Leslie, Letcher, Owsley, Perry, and Whitley. We continue to receive a welcome response and ever increasing needs from both the schools and ministries which we support in these areas. Before the Mission of Hope commits to providing assistance to a specific ministry or school, a review team is sent to evaluate the needs of the people in the rural area and the types of facilities and services that are present to serve them. Additionally, reviews of national data on the number of people living in poverty in that area are researched to help determine whether an area actually needs assistance from the Mission of Hope.

In 1996, WBIR-TV, the local Knoxville NBC television affiliate, broadcast a news special called "Hunger for Hope". During this broadcast, TV news anchor Bill Williams told of the destitution and poverty of rural Appalachia, showing real life examples of children and families who suffer extreme poverty in the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky. From these words of Bill Williams echoing in Knoxville: "They are caught in the pockets of poverty", the Mission of Hope was born. The Mission of Hope was created out of a truly passionate concern for others and a desire to share God's love for people in a tangible way. Today, the Mission of Hope continues its ministry of providing assistance, aid, sharing resources and extending Hope to those that live in the depths and despair of poverty stricken areas in rural Appalachia.

Since its beginning in 1996, the Mission of Hope has been blessed with the resources to help thousands of children and their family members. This is truly an amazing feat, especially when you consider that the first efforts of only a few volunteers at Christmas 1996 were able to reach out and help just 150 people.

The Mission of Hope is basically a Volunteer Organization. Under the direction of the Executive Director and a team of committed volunteer leadership, hundreds of dedicated volunteers of all ages are organized and coordinated throughout the year to carry out the day to day operations, programs and relief efforts of the Mission of Hope. We could never begin to extend the Hope without these compassionate volunteers and their servant hearts. Currently, the specific campaigns and programs that the Mission of Hope undertakes throughout the year are as follows:

• Christmas Campaign

• Back-To-School Campaign

• Spring Resurrection Programs

• Healthcare Events

• Construction Ministry

• Resource Ministry

As you can see, the Mission of Hope has many approaches to service, but the ultimate goal is to provide whatever assistance we can to the people of Appalachia, who still today live in the depths and despair of poverty, while bringing Hope to those who are in such great need. When a need is identified, we attempt to bring together the materials and resources for a solution to the problem.

To meet the ever increasing requests for assistance presented to the Mission of Hope, we receive contributions from a number of organizations, businesses and civic groups as well as the general public during our specified campaigns and throughout the year. Collections of toys, clothes, food, books, furniture, hygiene items and financial donations are given to us and, acting as a clearing house, we redistribute the items to those in need. Financial contributions are used to purchase items which can not be otherwise secured to meet the needs of the schools and ministries. Several businesses graciously support the Mission of Hope by providing goods and/or services at greatly reduced prices. In addition, 29 churches, representing a multitude of denominations in the Knoxville area, assist the Mission of Hope on a year round basis to see that needed supplies are collected and made available for redistribution to schools, missions and ministries on a year round basis. The Mission of Hope has developed a supporting resource network of local businesses, schools, and churches that have generously given of their resources, time and labor to help us go to and assist a mission field “just up the road and on the other side of the mountain”. For this we are very thankful and grateful.

The Mission of Hope is a fully tax deductible non-profit (501c3) Appalachian relief organization. It is governed and directed by a 12 member Board of Directors with a full time Executive Director, Emmette Thompson, who reporting directly to the Board, oversees the day to day operations of the ministry and serves also as the liaison who coordinates the efforts of hundreds of volunteers. An independent accounting firm conducts an annual audit and periodically reviews the financial records and workings of the organization. The 2002 audit confirmed that the Mission of Hope gives back 89.99% of every dollar to the people to whom we minister. We were thrilled with this figure! The people of Appalachia are a proud people and appreciate all that we are able to do for them. We could not do any of this without public support and volunteers.