Today we’d like to introduce you to Demira Devoil.
Demira, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Well, I’m a bit of a nurturer and that’s to say the least, but I realized that one of my greatest purposes on this Earth was to love people back to life. See, I was raised in a small town in Louisiana and poverty ran in my generation, I did all I could to defy the odds but when my daughter was around two, I found myself in a place of being economically challenged that lead me to be without a place to stay. It was at this point that I said, “God, there has to be so much more to my life than this.” With a lot of hard work and dedication, I regained employment, budgeted, and finished my Master’s Degree. I found myself relocating to a different state and in a better position than I have ever been. One day, I remember saying “God what do you want me to do?” and early one sweet December morning in 2015, I was awakened with the best answer ever.
In January 2016, Hopeful Arms Foundation was founded. Hopeful Arms Foundation’s mission is to stop the cycle of poverty by saturating the single parent and homeless population with the tools to succeed. We began having classes at the public library, classes on goals, vision and life planning, and budgeting. From there, we went into the shelters because I believe that poverty is a mindset and like any other mindset or habit it can be broken. In 2017, we began going into the shelters and offering these classes as well along with keeping with going to the streets to help and give out necessary resources. This year in 2018, we launched our first program Rebirth Shelter Life program a curriculum based program designed to assists shelter residents with life plans, finance, career, parental and emotional support. My heart’s desire to be love to those near and far!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Over these past two years, we have had a lot of growing pains but I look at them all as learning lessons. One of the biggest challenges we have is funding our programs which is typical for a starting nonprofit. We have had some really big contributors this year such as a community grants from Wal-mart and Kohls. With all challenges, there is always a way to overcome obstacles.
Please tell us about Hopeful Arms Foundation.
Hopeful Arms Foundation is a 501c (3) non-profit organization established to provide intensive life planning, financial planning training, education, and other services to high risk, underserved individuals. Our goal is to promote self-sufficiency amongst single parents and homeless individuals for a productive and prosperous transition out of the shelter and into society. The organization provides education support, job readiness training, financial planning training, and other intensive services to over 100 individuals annually.
Founder of Hopeful Arms Foundation, Demira Devoil, was a single parent who found herself in a homeless situation in Louisiana, who experienced first hand how the lack of resources can lead to limited options for people in the single parent and homeless community. Since experiencing homelessness, Demira has become a Senior Software Engineer at a prominent corporation, and currently working on a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. It is through her life experiences that she has become an expert in rehabilitating financially and overcoming a poverty lifestyle. This is one of the things that sets our nonprofit apart. We are most proud of the growth and the ability to help people near and far. Demira Devoil is also an active missionary who travels to places afar to offer help and resources.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, one of the things I would change would be to branch out to the shelters sooner than waiting a year. I know that life is about learning lessons, but there will always be a need to be filled and I just wish that I could have gotten to more people sooner.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hopefularmsfoundation.org
- Phone: 225-333-8864
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopefularmsfoundation/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopefularmsfoundation/
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