Home makers of Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing essential household items to low-income families, is boosting its capabilities with new software. Founded in 2008 by pam Stamey,the organization began when she discovered a local family of five was sleeping on the floor due to a lack of beds. Since then, Home Makers of Hope has grown to include over 200 volunteers, serving 450 families annually with beds, furniture, dishware, and other necessities.

“We pray over our families, and we give them hope. We tell them that God cares about them, and we care about them and that they are not alone here in Hillsborough County,” said Stamey.

Faced with a waiting list of over 100 families, Home Makers of Hope sought a solution to streamline operations and increase productivity. The new software promises to modernize their workflow, saving time and opening doors to more grant opportunities.

“The benefit of having the software is the ease and efficiency of data that we will have in real time. This gives us the ability to write grants more efficiently, and more grants means more beds for families in need,” said Stamey.

A Community Impact Grant of $5,000 from The Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg enabled Home Makers of Hope to acquire and implement the software. Volunteers are currently being trained to use the system for documenting volunteer hours, managing truck reservations, optimizing furniture pickup routes, and generating tax documents.

Stamey, a member of St.Stephen Catholic church in Riverview, draws strength from her faith, which inspires her service and compassion. Many volunteers and donors come from her parish and other local churches, including Christ the King Parish, St.Paul Parish, and Nativity Parish.

“I was raised in a beautiful Catholic family with eight children, and my mom and dad were always doing things for others. I was raised that, if you see someone who needs help, you do it. That’s what you do. It doesn’t really matter if they’re Catholic or they’re not. It just matters that they’re human beings that need help,” said Stamey.

Stamey anticipates that the new software will facilitate the expansion of Home Makers of Hope’s services to meet the overwhelming need in the community. The organization recently assisted a family consisting of a pregnant mother with two children, two adult siblings, and a grandmother who were living in a car and had secured housing but lacked essential resources.

“Families like this touch your heart. We are doing something that’s going to change somebody’s life, and it’s not going to change their life for a small period of time. It will change their lives for years. They’ll be sleeping in those beds for years,” said Stamey.

For more information or to get involved,visit www.homemakersofhope.org.