A Foundation for Hope

Thank you to Jared from Rockford, Illinois who shared this “hope” with us last Friday.

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A Foundation for Hope

Last night I dreamed with silly hope
That you would just with me elope
To somewhere warm with breezy air
To a world without a single care.

But then I guess what fun would that be?
No challenges for you or either for me,
With nothing to challenge our beautiful minds,
What would we do just the pass the time?

I’m sure you’d look great in your low rider jeans,
On the beach with a sunset in a beautiful scene,
Crooning some Jack Johnson to the wind,
The wind whipping your hair, the Sun tanning your skin.

But what would a little magic accomplish,
If at the end of the day you didn’t feel fulfilled,
There’s nothing wrong with fairy tales,
But you strive for something much more real.

Last night I dreamed and I’m sure I’ll do it again,
I doubt dreaming is at the top of the list of the sins,
As long as it’s a silly not a slippery slope,
I think dreams can build a foundation for hope.

— JC 2011

Our Hope Gallery Recap!

Hello Friends of The Hope Chronicles!

More than two weeks later, I still can’t stop smiling.

On March 5 and 6—a sunshiny South Los Angeles weekend—more than 250 neighbors gathered to listen to the heart of their community. A heart we discovered and shared through one very simple question: What do you hope for?

This was our first ever Hope Gallery—the culmination of six months of working with the incredible Ánimo Pat Brown Charter High School in Los Angeles and chance for one community to be immersed in hopes that they all share. I so wish you ALL could have been there, but for those of you who couldn’t make it to the event (or even for those of you who did), I’m excited to share a little taste of what we experienced during that amazing weekend.

First, here’s a quick video slideshow that will walk you through the experience: from our wonderful gallery of Hope Journals to our “forest” of hopes from neighbors all over South LA.

Then, take a look at the personal responses of our student Community Listeners. Stories of individual transformation just because of one simple question.

Also, our rockstar photographer Madison Garcia put together a beautiful set of images she captured during the event.

The Hope Gallery also featured a “Hope Graffiti” wall that HUNDREDS of people signed. I’ve put together a little photo gallery of my favorites.

Finally, everything that you see here today…we want to take that one step further. So, I’m excited to invite EVERYONE to host an event like this one with their school, club, organization, or house of worship. Please visit our new “Host An Event” section to sign up for more information and plan a project for your group.

The weekend was full of moments etched into my memory. Students walking their families through the Hope Journals. Kids and adults—together—writing their hopes on our wall. Visitors spending minutes, sometimes hours quietly reflecting on the stories of their neighbors. Two students curled up together in an armchair reading a Hope Journal aloud—laughing, crying, smiling, and always listening.

This was nothing more than unforgettable.

But one silent moment hovers above it all.

I was cleaning up on Saturday night after everyone had gone home and snapping pictures of all everything for my own records. I was walking past the Hope Graffiti wall when I caught a glimpse of the picture on your left.

I stared at it for a second, grabbed a red marker, and wrote that big “AMEN.”

What Lynnette wrote perfectly captured everything that we do at The Hope Chronicles—a deep desire to never stop understanding our neighbors, no matter who they are or where they come from. A challenge that can only be met through listening.

So, thank you Lynnette, whoever you are, for your words.

Thank you to our amazing volunteers who helped build the gallery. Thank you to the incredible staff at APB who believed in this project. And most of all, thank you to the Ánimo Pat Brown students, who took a risk, started listening to their neighbors, and taught me so much in the process .

To everyone who supports the work we do: much love, many blessings, and be well.

Sam Lundquist
Founder and Community Listener
sam@thehopechronicles.org

Photos from the Gallery!

Didn’t get a chance to make it to the Gallery? Our marvelously talented photographer, Madison Garcia, captured some wonderful moments from the event. Check ‘em out below and see more at her Flickr page!

Hope Graffiti

As part of our March 2011 Hope Gallery event, we installed a Hope Graffiti wall at Animo Pat Brown High School where students, parents, faculty, and neighbors could write their response to our question: What do you hope for? Hundreds of people responded, and we’ve posted some our favorites in the gallery after the jump. Enjoy!

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Hope Gallery: The Responses

To create the very heart of our Hope Gallery, we asked our student Community Listeners to share their story of how one simple question changed their lives. Here are their responses—uncut and unedited—so you can get just a glimpse at their own personal transformation.