Hope Awards Recognition Breakfast Honors House of Hope Partners and Supporters
Stuart, Fl - “Extraordinary partners moving the mission forward!” The House of Hope is celebrating its 2025 Hope Award honorees for their unwavering support of the work of the nonprofit organization.
Each year the House of Hope holds the Hope Awards Recognition Breakfast to honor the agencies, businesses, individuals, faith-based organizations and neighborhoods that contribute time, talent, and resources to enable the nonprofit to reach out to local residents who are struggling to overcome hunger and hardship. This year’s event was held at Monarch Country Club on September 17.
“We know our honorees don’t do it for the award or the attention,” said Rob Ranieri, House of Hope CEO. “They care deeply about having a positive impact on the community. We are grateful for their confidence in House of Hope to deliver on our promises and for our chance to thank them publicly.”
Twenty-one Hope Awards were given out, including one to each of five local WAWA stores. WAWA store manager Bryant Little explained why all five WAWA stores donate food every day to House of Hope. “We have product to share, and we want it to go to people in need. House of Hope is a consistent, reliable partner that gets our donations where they will do the most good.”
CBS 12 News was another honoree. R. Brent Struense, Creative Services Director for Channel 12 News, told the story of how the partnership between House of Hope and WPEC began. “I was doing a story on food insecurity in our area,” Struense said, “and I couldn’t understand why some of the richest counties around couldn’t fill their food banks. Channel 12 started a program, Feed the Need, that is now a week-long event in each of our counties to raise funds and awareness, almost like a telethon. Our relationship with Rob Ranieri and House of Hope has been great. You’ll see stories from us that start at 4:30 am on the Growing Hope Farm and go right into the 11 pm news.”
House of Hope also honored Southeastern Food Bank, a nonprofit that gathers food and other items from businesses throughout the state and redistributes it to food pantries like House of Hope. “We don’t throw anything away,” its CEO and founder Mark Anthony said. “We can count on House of Hope to put everything we deliver to good use.” Last year Southeastern Food Bank provided 120,000 pounds of food and other items to House of Hope.
Teaching people about good nutrition is also an important part of House of Hope’s programming. Crystal Hallee of Palm City Elementary School was honored for her work with the House of Hope’s Traveling Education Garden, which brings nutrition education to students throughout the school district. “The Traveling Education Garden is an incredible resource for our students,” Crystal said. “It helps them understand and appreciate where our food comes from in a way that is fun and memorable. “
Ranieri spoke to the growing need in the community for all of the services of House of Hope. “Our numbers are up another 35%” Ranieri said, “and we’re on track to distribute 1.6 million pounds of food this year. Our work is impacting more than 30,000 people in Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee, and even parts of Vero and Palm Beach County. So we value every donation, from the 6,000 pounds of cereal from Cleveland Clinic Martin Health Nursing to the 50,000 pounds of nonperishables from the Martin County Library System’s Food for Fines program to every can, box, thrift store item and cash donation from our many generous partners and donors.”
A highlight of the event was the presentation of the Barbara Trimble Legacy of Hope Award. Barbara Trimble was an early, ardent, and consistent supporter of House of Hope throughout her life. The Legacy Awards goes to a community member each year who exemplifies that spirit. This year’s award went to Kathy Carmody, who started working for House of Hope in 1996 and has never missed an opportunity to put together people in need with the helping hands of House of Hope. “This is a fantastic organization,” Carmody said, “and I’ve loved every minute of my time here. And by the way, I’m not done yet!”
The 2025 Hope Awards Honorees are:
- Kathy Carmody - Barbara Trimble Legacy Award
- A Girl & A Gun - Treasure Coast Chapter
- CBS 12 News
- Chef Jack Kane
- Cleveland Clinic Martin Health Nursing
- Crystal Hallee - Palm City Elementary
- Emily McClellan
- Food for Fines Martin County Library System
- Meritage Homes
- Palm City Farms Produce & Market
- Peggy’s Natural Foods
- Salt of the Earth Halotherapy and Spa
- Southeastern Food Bank
- St. Lucie Jewelry & Coins
- Susanne Bomeisler
- Unique Sweets Florida
- Visiting Nurse Association Mobile Clinic
- Wawa Stores 5400, 5307, 5329, 5377, and 5204
Sponsors of the recognition breakfast include HBKS Wealth Advisors and Sparks Fabrication & Welding.
To learn more about House of Hope and its programs, go to www.hohmartin.org, or call 772-286-4673.
About House of Hope
Founded in 1984, House of Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers community residents to overcome hunger and hardship. House of Hope touches the lives of more than 31,000 people each month, helping with basic needs such as food, clothing, furniture, and financial assistance, case management services that help build life skills for a more self-sufficient future, and nutrition education programming that supports a foundation of healthy choices throughout the community.
The organization has service centers in Stuart, Hobe Sound, Indiantown, and Jensen Beach, with thrift stores in Stuart, Hobe Sound, and Indiantown. House of Hope’s Centers for Enrichment at Golden Gate in Stuart, in Jensen Beach, and at KinDoo Family Center in Indiantown offer free programs, technology, and workshops designed to enhance life skills, earning potential, health, and overall well-being.
House of Hope also operates the Growing Hope Farm in Palm City and several nutrition gardens that provide sustainable sources of fresh produce for clients as well as nutrition education and vocational opportunities to the community. For more information, visit hohmartin.org or call 772-286-4673. Updates and announcements can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, and X.