About Us
Hello, I'm Adriana Sanders, and I serve as the Director of The Doris Wiles Center of Hope, a beacon of positivity and support within our community. The journey of the Center began in the summer of 2008, guided by the vision of the remarkable Doris A. Wiles. Initially conceived as Vacation Bible School, the Center of Hope quickly evolved into something beyond imagination, with a dedicated staff and an array of impactful programs.
Under Doris's leadership, the Center of Hope transitioned from Vacation Bible School to a fully active youth center nestled within New Life Ministries. This space became a hub for empowerment, offering computers for academic or social activities, video games, a relaxing lounge area, and an outdoor basketball court. The initial chapter of Center of Hope concluded in 2012 when 1st Lady Wiles relocated to Dallas, TX.
In 2015, the Center of Hope reemerged under new leadership, with a renewed commitment to being a source of light in a challenging period. Witnessing the devastating impact of gun violence on the youth in our community, the Center of Hope took on the mission to restore hope. Initiatives like community walks and events at Summit Park became powerful tools in reclaiming our neighborhood.
The pinnacle of our efforts came in August 2015 with "Operation Our Community," a significant community event hosted at Summit Park where 200 inner-city youths were blessed with backpacks. The years 2015-16 were marked by the impactful presence of the Center of Hope in our community.
Though circumstances led to a temporary hiatus, the spirit of the Center of Hope persisted. In April 2018, my husband and I returned to Wisconsin, finding ourselves drawn back to our roots. We started small by collaborating with the School District of Beloit to feed local community children. What began as a modest initiative soon grew, with the Center of Hope breathing life again by the end of the summer, feeding 40 to 50 kids a day.
Reflecting on the journey, I believe 1st Lady Wiles would take pride in seeing her vision endure. Her heart for children continues to inspire us, and if given the chance, I imagine her smiling and encouraging us to persist in being the individuals that God has called us to be. Our commitment remains unwavering – to bring hope back to the center of our community, one positive initiative at a time.
About Us
Doris Wiles Center of Hope began in the summer of 2008 at New Life Ministries in Beloit WI. Her vision was to grab the youth, while they are young, and educate them on how important it is to get their education. She created a plan by finding out where the children were struggling academically and grabbed some tutors from the Beloit College and got to work. Many of the youth she helped, not only graduated Beloit Memorial High School, but some went to college and got jobs.
Doris Wiles created a classroom environment inside of New Life Ministries. There were computers lined up against the wall for those that needed to study online. There were plenty of tables and chairs for them to do their projects for their presentations. If some of them came in hungry, she made sure there was plenty of food to eat by providing a hot lunch for them. If they needed counseling, she had a private area set up for those that needed to vent, and she would pray with them. She created a safe environment for everyone who wanted to further their education but couldn’t do it from their home.
Center of Hope is located at 1400 Harvey St. Beloit, WI inside of New Life Ministries. Since 2008, there has been many upgrades, but due to slow funding, some of our upgrades are behind. The Center of Hope has reconstructed the youth center into a place where the children can still do their homework, but now they can sing, do poetry, play games, and meet new friends. There is not a lot of space for the gifts and talents that these kids have. The Center of Hope needs the funds to build a basketball court and build a safe playground for, not just the Center of Hope, but the whole Merrill Community.
Today the Center of Hope has partnered with a few local businesses that have been a great help with their events. In October 2018, the Center of Hope hosted “Trunk or Treat” and because of the local businesses that sponsored that event, the Center of Hope was able to supply 500 families with food, candy, and prizes. The goal of the Center of Hope is to build a relationship with other local businesses so they can build a bridge to the Merrill Community.
The Center of Hope is a long-term goal. Every year that there is a child graduating, there is a new child starting school. The Center of Hope plans to be there from beginning to the end. The Center of Hope plans on having school aged tutors that are there to guild the children to wherever they see themselves going in the future. The Center of Hope have children with dreams of becoming nurses and some engineers and the Center wants to be able to provide the resources to point them in that direction.
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