Hope

Hope came to live at Hope Haven Children’s Home at the tender age of three when her mother died of cancer. Losing her mother at such a young age and moving to a new home with people she didn’t know brought with it many challenges, but over the years she learned to trust God and to let Him guide her path. Today she serves the ministry He prepared her for with a bright smile and hope for her future. In her own words …

“March 13, 1983 forever changed my life. That was the day my sister and I were sent to live at Hope Haven Children’s Home.  My mom had just passed away from cancer. I was three and my sister was five.  I lived at Hope Haven for fifteen years. I graduated from Kellam High School in 1997 and attended Johnson and Wales University where I received an Associate degree in Applied Science in the Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Service Management. I worked with a couple of companies before coming back to The Union Mission Ministries in 2005.

I began as a part-time night cook for Hope Haven Adult Home, while working part-time with the Chesapeake public school system. In 2007, I moved into a full-time position at the Adult Home as the day cook. When the Adult Home closed its doors in 2014, my daily tasks changed. Today I oversee the distribution of fresh food deliveries on Tuesdays at the Mission and cook for special events and luncheons. In 2015 I took over as the Camp Hope Haven cook and also cook for retreats at Hope Haven.

2015 marks ten years that I have been employed with the ministry, but I have been affiliated with it for thirty-three years.  Growing up at the Children’s Home taught me a lot about gratefulness and humility. We were taught to ‘Do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, whether we felt like or not, and do it unto the Lord.’

I really have to fully rely on God and my faith because He knows the plans He has for me. I surely never thought that I would have been back working at the ministry working as a chef/cook. I thought I would be somewhere else, but that was not in God’s plan for me. I do remember what ‘Granddaddy’ (Rev. Ted Bashford) asked me several times as I was getting ready to graduate from high school, ‘Hopee, when are you going to come back and be our chef?’ My response was, ‘I don’t know Granddaddy, if it is in God’s will and way.’ Certainly it was God’s plan all along.

I was asked at the beginning of the summer camp season this year by ‘Aunt Linda’ (Linda Bashford Vaughan) if I had ever thought that I would be back working for this wonderful ministry. I shared about her dad always asking me that question. Never did I think that I would be in the position I am in today.  Whether it is doing office work, sorting food, or feeding 650 campers and staff I’m blessed to be where God wants me to be.”