On Tuesday, May 11, Homan Elementary presented over $800 to local charity Hannah’s Hope, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing necessary equipment to families of children with disabilities.
The creation of Hannah’s Hope began after Hannah Martinez survived a prenatal stroke that caused severe brain damage and developmental delays. After experiencing the struggle of finding and affording equipment, Hannah’s parents, Mike and Mary Martinez, decided to form a non-profit to aid families in financial need. Mrs. Niki Avina, Hannah’s aunt and former board member of Hannah’s Hope, accepted the donation from Homan and explained the meaning and process behind the organization.
“Hannah’s Hope helps kids in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte county ages 0-18 purchase equipment to meet developmental goals. Many children with special needs have lots of out-of-pocket costs for their parents. Even a speech app called ‘Lamp Words for Life’ is a $250 app for an iPad, and none of that is covered by insurance. Hannah’s Hope works to bridge the gap between what the insurance covers and what the families are able to cover,” Mrs. Avina said.
Hannah’s family learned firsthand how expensive and time-consuming finding the right equipment for a child can be. Without community help, it can be difficult to afford everything needed to ensure a fulfilled childhood. Hannah’s Hope is determined to lift that financial and emotional burden from families in need.
“What we learned through the Hannah’s Hope experience is that it’s very expensive, and that community programs like this make such a big difference to children and families with special needs,” Mrs. Avina said.
Hannah’s Hope focuses on helping families in need within the local community, which means that every cent of students’ donations will be going straight back to their neighbors, friends and family members in the area. Students at Homan were very excited to know that their donation could go to someone they personally know and love.
“Seeing children in the community helping other kids is really what Hannah’s Hope’s mission is all about. It’s helping Hannah help others. It’s local kids helping their community,” Mrs. Avina said.
Hannah passed away when she was three, but her legacy is still alive and well through the efforts and impacts of Hannah’s Hope.