Hope Street of Siouxland opened in June of 2019. Their purpose is to assist homeless men in the Siouxland communities who are dealing with sobriety, mental illness, or addiction. What sets them apart from other organizations is that they don’t use a cookie-cutter approach to treat their clients. Instead, they see everyone as their own person, uniquely different, having lived different lives under different circumstances, though perhaps with some similar underlying circumstances. They see and value everyone for the different trials and tribulations that they’ve survived, and stand ready to walk beside them now on their journey to recovery.

“Our whole goal is to walk beside them, helping them based on what their needs are, by using a process to help each of them reach their own success. We’re really looking at getting them reinstated into the community, feeling good, and becoming healthy so that they can contribute to what our community needs, and that they can do so feeling loved and cared for,” stated program director, Sara Johnson.

Hope Street serves the Tri-State Siouxland area, from Onawa, Carroll, Winnebago, or North Sioux City. I believe that people who live in this community will be more invested in giving back and in feeling involved, re-engaging with the positive aspects of their lives. 

“We work with men who are trying to re-establish relationships, whether that’s with a family, your church, your past hobbies, or friends. If you have someone who comes from too far away, then they just don’t have anywhere to really connect. It makes things extremely challenging. So, for us, we really want to invest in the people of our community. They grew up here, and now they have the opportunity to learn some skills and reintegrate back into that space and to be part of what I like to call a great, special, unique place that we have here in the Midwest,” shared Sara.

 Now, granted Hope Street is here to help. But committing to this program does not mean everything is suddenly going to start coming up rainbows, unicorns, and butterflies.

“We ask for a minimum of a nine-month commitment from each of our clients. The day-to-day at Hope Street is a fight and a challenge because the men who live there are fighting for their lives. They are really given an opportunity. We have some people who left Hope Street and were not successful, and they have paid for that with their lives. But we also have more than 100 people over the past seven years who have chosen to be successful. The thing about Hope Street is that it is a fight every single day. No matter the challenge, we’re willing to take it on with each person. We want to wrap our arms around those guys and show them that there is hope. There is a community that wants to support them. We are constantly rooting for them and cheering them on. They may not like the path we’ve provided to achieve that success, and sometimes that’s a battle. But that’s ok. We know that our process works. Hope Street is unique in that way. Sioux City has a great way of supporting these really tough challenges, and I just appreciate that support,” commented Sara.

One of Hope Street’s success stories … TONY.

“It was scary at first walking through those doors, facing those expectations. All eyes are on me. I was nervous. The worst thing was being told no the first time I tried to get into the program, because there was a waiting list. But it isn’t a no forever. It’s no, not today. I was eager and wanted to get started right away, but I had to wait. Sara doesn’t forget about you or give up on you. Out of the goodness of it, she said in two weeks, come back,” shared Tony.

He’d spent 20 years on the street, fighting alcoholism and homelessness. And although Tony was accepted into the program, it was a rocky road to start down his path to success.

“We don’t allow violence in the program. We have our rules, structure, and accountability. If you don’t follow that, then you may be out of the program. But you’re not out forever. We’re always rooting for you and cheering you on,” said Sara.

Although Tony was let go from the program on his first attempt through, he re-applied and was allowed to try again.

“You’ve got structure. It’s being patient and learning to accept. When I first came through the door, it was like, ok, I can play their game, I can get through this here. Then I was let go from the program due to violence. But Sara didn’t let go. She kept her hand reaching out to me. When I grabbed it that second time, I haven’t let go yet. They open windows to help you breathe and open doors to different opportunities. Sara doesn’t leave anybody behind. It’s a delicate balance creating structure, sober living, with certain expectations and accountability. But when you falter, there’s still a door to get you back,” shared Tony.

It took three years, but just before this issue of EXPAND went to print, Tony completed the Hope Street Program.

“The greatest part of the Hope Street Program for me was becoming a family. We see each other’s struggles; we go through each other’s pain, tribulations, and trials. We’re all there, but we always come together. Regardless of whether I’m mad at someone one day or another, we all come together as one person, as a whole. Some of us don’t have families to go back to, but we have families that we’ve made at Hope Street, and that’s all we know. When I first came in, whoa . . .  but where I’m at now. It’s from the heart; it’s hard to compare. I’ve grown. I listen now. I learn. I’m not hard and fighting back now. I take on responsibilities and do not run from them. It’s not too much anymore. It’s not more than we can bear. The number one thing I learned on my journey is to accept myself. I have to accept myself. The good and the bad, both sides of me. And I give it up to a higher power. I ask and pray for forgiveness for the things I still need to work on in my life. I’m not on this side of the fence or that side of the fence anymore. I know what happens if I try to straddle the fence: I fall down, and that hurts,” admitted Tony.

For more information about Hope Street, visit their website at hopestreetofsiouxland.com. They also have a Facebook page. They are located at 1308 Nebraska Street, and can be reached by phone at (712) 560-2253. Visit the webcast of this discussion with Tony, Sara, and Stacie to learn more about the program.

In closing, Tony wanted to share this.

“I would like everyone to know that Hope Street is there; the name represents itself. A lot of us feel hopeless, and we give up. That name means a lot. HOPE STREET. The conversations I have with guys on the street are about HOPE STREET and all it did to help me. It’s about them. Are you still there, they ask me. Yes, I’m still here. I wanna get better, they say. You know where I was and how I was, I tell them. Just show up and ring the doorbell. Just ring the doorbell. That’s all you gotta do. Then come on in. I’ve been on the streets. It’s nasty now. This is how to get off of them.” — Tony