By: Ryan Duey
Cindy Whittington has taken over the Director role at the H.O.P.E. Center of Dickinson County, following Terresa Kohman’s retirement last month. The H.O.P.E. Center is a nonprofit organization located in downtown Abilene that provides multiple different services and programs to individuals and families in need.
Whittington, who is also an Abilene Core Community Coach, brings experience and passion for helping those in need to the Center. Whittington said she is excited to take over this new role, further helping those in Dickinson County. She spoke a bit about her immediate goals as the Director.
“We have found that there are a lot of people who don’t know what the H.O.P.E. Center is and what we do. So, my goals at the beginning are to spread the word and to let people know that, while our office is located in Abilene, which we serve about 95% Abilene, we serve all of Dickinson County.”
“And aside from just getting the word out, also moving our services to other cities in Dickinson County and getting things to those organizations as well.”
Whittington will continue her role as a Core Community coach, and believes her Core role will be an additional benefit to this new position.
“I think being part of Core Community is a great benefit. At the H.O.P.E. Center, we see people continuing to struggle and they’re like, how can I get out of this? Core would be a great resource for me to give them, and who knows more about what Core does than me because I see what happens in the lives of the families in our county.”
“Typically, when people come into the H.O.P.E. Center, it’s a crisis situation, and they need something paid right away because of an eviction, or because something’s getting ready to be turned off, or maybe has been turned off. And with Core Community, it’s them leading themselves to these changes and so then they don’t necessarily come into a crisis situation because they’re planning things out. So, I think it’s nothing but a benefit to be able to give that additional resource to families.”
Whittington looks to spread awareness of the H.O.P.E Center beyond Abilene, providing a valuable resource to all individuals in Dickinson County. Keep up to date on programs, events, and more by following the H.O.P.E. Center at https://www.facebook.com/thehopecenterabilene.
