Behind the Scenes at Hopeful Horizons

We had a chance recently to chat with Jill Weaver, Hopeful Horizons Finance and Grants Associate. Jill works closely with the finance and grants department to ensure proper financial documentation and records are submitted for grants and federal funding. We hope you enjoy this sneak peek behind the scenes at Hopeful Horizons.

1. What has changed for you in your office/office space? I moved to Greenville in March with the intention that I would continue to work from home for Hopeful Horizons. The timing was perfect as most of us started working at home. Myrna has continued to go to the office every day to ensure that bills are paid, the grants request for reimbursement are submitted and that money and donations are being deposited.

2. What’s the same? Our team talks to each other every day and two of our team members are still physically in the office every day.

3. Tell me about being worried for the organization. As our clients and potential clients are staying at home with their abusers, I worry about our ability to reach them in time to help them. The world as it once was is not the same, and I believe that our organization will also be making some major changes in how it operates and functions. This is not necessarily a worry for the organization but we know that a good amount of change will be coming.

4. Has anything changed with the federal grants? The federal grants for now are the same. Some of the state level funding has been able to pool funds to help organizations, like Hopeful Horizons, manage the additional loss or expense that is a part of this COVID-19 experience.

5. I know your jobs involve money coming in and going out and lots of paper! But I also know you care deeply about our clients. What fuels you? We are one of the few departments at Hopeful Horizons that never has contact with clients. Although, we are very in tune with the programs that Hopeful Horizons offers to our clients through the management of the funding. Additionally, we are constantly fighting to use every dollar provided to us to better serve our clients. In conjunction with the grants and fundraising departments, we work hard to find new funding sources to expand our programs & services for our clients.

6. What are you doing for self care? I work out every morning and right now I am doing an at-home Barre class. In the evenings, I walk with my husband and on the weekends we “hunt” for great hiking trails and waterfalls. Getting outside keeps me balanced.

7. How are your families handling this? I have two grown children in Columbia. Their jobs have stayed the same for the most part and they have stayed employed, thankfully 😊. We have started to Zoom with our parents so we can see them and feel like we are connected with them.

8. What do you want the community to know about what you’ve done to keep the organization going? In the finance department we are always working hard to spend every dollar that is given to us with integrity. In the last two months, we have been working harder than ever to help the organization continue running smoothly without interruption to services or staffing.

9. What else would you like to share? Although we have received additional funding to assist with COVID-19 related expenses, we are still needing General Operating funds that allow us to run the entire organization. Since our major fundraiser (An Evening with Hopeful Horizons in April) was cancelled, we need the community’s help to keep the services available to those in need.

Thank you, Jill!