Waxahachie, Texas – May 5, 2017 – Alumna Faitth Brooks founded a nonprofit organization to help provide effective mentorship and tools to support young mothers between 13 to 19 years old.
There are approximately 250,000 teen pregnancies in the Unites States and more than 700,000 teen pregnancies throughout the world each year. Driven by the vision of Faitth Brooks, Hannah’s Hope (HHope) is an organization dedicated to equipping young mothers to successfully raise and provide for their children.
“I feel like the Lord mandates us to care for everyone – the widow, the poor and the orphan,” Brooks says. “That’s what I wanted. I want to show them the love of God through my actions and through Hannah’s Hope.”
Services include mentorship and baby showers for local school districts in Houston. Brooks clearly states that the program is intended to have a more relational approach. “I wanted Hannah’s Hope to remain relationally driven as opposed to heavily programmed,” she says.
Brooks recalls a young teen mother in Austin who had no supplies for her baby. The teenaged girl was living in an apartment with no furniture with her mother. Brooks threw a baby shower for her to provide the necessary supplies for her baby. She also made time to be there for her as a friend rather than just viewing her as a patient or a client. “I just lived life with her,” she says. “I didn’t want her to feel like a project.” She still remains in contact with her today.
The name “Hannah’s Hope” is derived from Hannah in the Bible. Reflecting on Hannah’s longing for a child in scripture, Brooks was encouraged to develop a nonprofit program for young mothers. “It was inspiring to me – her faith and her tenacity to believe that God would give her a child.” Both Brooks’ great-grandmother and her grandmother were teen mothers. “My mother was the daughter of a teen mom and my mom is a very successful woman. I really wanted to encourage other young women with children to go on and do great things.”
Brooks graduated from Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) in 2012 with a degree in Social Work. She believes her time at SAGU has played a significant role in her spiritual walk and in her career.
“It was insightful,” she says. “I learned quite a bit about myself and how to be a social worker. Also, having the opportunity to participate in Mission Ten . I was able to take mission trips overseas.” Brooks was able to go to Rwanda in 2010 and Thailand in 2011. “Those trips were really impactful in my time at SAGU and on into my adulthood.”
Along with Mission Ten, Brooks said she enjoyed being a part of a student ministry called “Street Hope.” This ministry enables students to go out on Friday nights to go out in the community to provide food for the homeless.
Since graduation, Faitth has worked in foster care for Arrow Child & Family Ministries . She was simultaneously working at MD Anderson Cancer Center as the Program Coordinator for a smoking prevention program. She is currently the Communication and Programming Director at Legacy Collective .
About SAGU:
Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The university was established in 1927, and now offers more than 70 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-SAGU.
