Hope House

Hope House began with a promise made by a little girl — herself abandoned and a victim of abuse, neglect and family dysfunction — who vowed that someday, she would make a home where children like herself could be loved and cared for.

That promise began to be fulfilled twenty years later when, in October of 1973, Donnalee Velvick-Lowry took home her first child in need.

Today, the promise continues. Hope House exists to provide a home for children in need. Some come to Hope House with mental, physical, or emotional challenges. The majority come from difficult family situations or failed adoptions with serious attachment issues. Some come to us with reports of nothing more than bad behavior and are stamped as incorrigible.

Whatever the reason they come to be loved and cared for and provided with a quality education and an opportunity to succeed where they have experienced little but failure.

Hope House is located four miles south of the city of Marsing, Idaho. Our campus is located on approximately 52 acres along the Snake River and includes living quarters for children who live in homes according to age, gender, and ability; homes for our staff and volunteers, an excellent education building and chapel, gymnasium and various other maintenance and support buildings.

Hope House provides a home for approximately forty-eight young people under the age of eighteen and a number of young adults with disabilities who have grown up at Hope House.

In addition to approximately 23 full-time and part-time live-in staff and volunteers, the children’s needs are met by state-certified teachers, licensed professional counselors, sports coaches, and volunteer grandparents.

Hope House is a family and all the children who join our family — whether they stay several months or remain for years — learn to live, love, and share as a family.

Because we are a family, everyone participates in camping, swimming, bowling and other activities. Within the protection of the family, young people are encouraged to try things they may have been afraid of or were too self-conscious to try.

Within the safety of the family, they have the freedom to fail without the fear of being labeled a failure. The key word in all that we do is FAMILY.

We are family. We live, love, laugh, learn, work, play, and worship as a family.

HOPE HOUSE is a home to come to!