tops cares: The Hope Buss

TOPS CARES

SPONSORED BY

BY DAWN ANDERSON COURTESY PHOTOS

The Hope Buss began with Founder and Executive Director Stachelle Bussey’s “HopeFULL” food justice program, bringing hope to communities with access issues such as food deserts, food apartheid, and lack of pharmacies. The work began with grocery store runs “making what’s available accessible” for residents in Old Louisville who had been subsisting on limited, overpriced food options from nearby convenience stores. Bussey recalls dropping into one such neighborhood store for a gallon of milk. Although shocked at the high price, she was able to pay it. “Everyone doesn’t have that privilege.” The Hope Buss has also hosted health fairs, community conversations on mental health, mental health conferences, free farmers’ markets, school supply giveaways, and transported voters to the polls on Election Day.

The mission of The Hope Buss is Equipping the Community, Enlisting Hope Dealers, Establishing Partnerships, and Empowering the People, “with the ultimate goal of alleviating poverty.” The nonprofi t assesses the specifi c needs of each neighborhood’s residents and partners with local churches and community organizations to meet those needs, to “build relationships and build community.” Stachelle says she would love nothing more than to make enough connections between businesses, other organizations, and the people she serves that they render The Hope Buss irrelevant. “Put me out of business!”

In the meantime, The Hope Buss and its Hope Dealers are gearing up for “Hope Re-Imagined,” their busiest, most rewarding three months of the year with fun events that focus on the kids. They decorate The Buss and turn it into a Mobile Fall Festival and pumpkin patch for their Halloween weekend event. A caravan of 20-30 cars joins in for Trunk or Treat. The Buss rolls through the West End, Park Hill, and the South End of Louisville, distributing 400-500 pumpkins, 1000 candy bags, and hundreds of hygiene bags.

This October, The Hope Buss also has a “Fill the Buss” initiative to collect donations of extra merchandise from stores, excess food from restaurants, and food pantry overstock. In November, the Hope Buss and caravan will distribute grocery and restaurant gift certifi cates, food boxes, and hot meals for families. Hope Dealers turn The Buss into a mobile buffet with nine tables to serve 100 cooked meals to houseless neighbors on Thanksgiving weekend.

In December, the Buss transforms into a Winter Wonderland straight out of the North Pole for pictures with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the elves. Kids can enjoy stations set up outside The Buss with tables for cookie decorating, card-making, and other crafts. Christmas wishes come true with caravans bearing toy bags and surveying families to fulfi ll special requests.

“We are a community-funded, community-focused, and community-powered nucleus and anchor to meet actual needs,” says Bussey.

Additional programs include:

• “Hope This Helps” education and workforce initiative for young adults 16-24 • “Hope for Tomorrow” summer educational enrichment program • “HopeHEALS” healthcare and wellness initiative for mental and physical health, offering vaccine clinics, free holistic wellness opportunities, health education, and grief and trauma-informed therapy in partnership with local healthcare providers • “HopeFIRST” providing emergency assistance to families in crisis “for utilities, housing, child care, car repairs, or legal fees” • “HopeFLEET” expanding (thanks to an as-yetunannounced “major partner”) with Hope Buss West and Hope Buss East to “connect the dots” between some of Louisville’s poorest and most privileged areas • Experiences for kids beyond the West End, such as fl ying planes, hiking adventures, and restaurant visits

Bussey says the goal for 2022 is to be more “proactive rather than reactive.” The Hope Buss is looking to purchase a headquarters and can always use more Hope Dealers - “volunteers, donors, and anyone else who wants to be involved in lending a hand up versus a handout.” Hope Buss programs are possible through “generous and consistent” monthly donors who give $10-$25 per month. The Hope Buss is 40 monthly donors away from its goal. A minister herself, Bussey is seeking 50-60 churches and other faith-based organizations to donate $125 per month.

Finally, Stachelle Bussey challenges each one of us - “Be hope where you are.” Send messages and photos of Hope-Dealing to stachelle@thehopebuss.org. “Ordinary people achieve extraordinary outcomes.” Sign up to receive The Hope Buss newsletter at thehopebuss.org/ connect. Follow @thehopebuss on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. ■