New Hope Haven to welcome families by mid-August

BY SAM VISE

THE LAFAYETTE SUN

VALLEY — Following nearly three years of planning and development, Hope Haven — billed as Alabama’s first transitional housing program specifically designed for single mothers and young children struggling with housing instability — celebrated its official ribbon cutting on July 28.

Hosted by the Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, the ceremony marked a major milestone for Circle of Care Center for Families. The nonprofit organization, which opened its doors in 1996, has spent nearly 30 years providing family support and services across Chambers County, as well as reaching into neighboring Randolph, Russell and Lee counties. 

Over decades of local work, leadership noticed a recurring challenge among the families they served.

“Over the years, we’ve worked with families in a lot of different crisis situations,” said Kea Costley, executive director of Circle of Care Center for Families. “A lot of times, we found that families did not have stable housing.”

Costley said many of these mothers spent 12 to 18 months waiting for housing authority units, income-based apartments or other long-term options to open up. That gap in services sparked the vision for Hope Haven.

“What the idea became was that if we could work with them during that time, if we could house them, bring stability and safety to the situation and work with them, pouring our support services into the families, then once permanent housing became available, they would be getting skills and moving forward,” Costley said.

Located in the same medical park where Circle of Care is based, Hope Haven was made possible through local philanthropy. A local family foundation purchased a facility formerly used as an assisted living home and funded renovations to convert it into a child-friendly, welcoming environment.

The updated facility features 38 furnished rooms equipped with refrigerators and microwaves, capable of housing up to 52 people at full capacity. The building includes a full kitchen, a garden, laundry facilities, a children’s activity room with a large-screen television and dedicated visitation rooms. 

Because residents often arrive with only the clothes on their backs, Hope Haven provides essential toiletries, dental care and individual locked pantry storage. Daily breakfast and dinner will be supplied by a hired caterer, though residents also have the option to prepare their own meals, and high school volunteers will be onsite to offer tutoring for children.

To maintain a secure environment for families who may have experienced long-term homelessness or relationship trauma, security and staffing will operate around the clock. Two house mothers will live onsite, supported by two day-shift supervisors and two night-shift supervisors. Men are strictly limited to two designated visitation rooms, while the rest of the residential building remains off limits.

Kevin Pigg, who has been with the Circle of Care for about four years working with individuals experiencing housing instability, serves as the equipping and emerging programs manager and Hope Haven program manager. A full-time case manager will also be there to work directly with residents.

Unlike emergency shelters designed for short-term stays, Hope Haven is structured as a 12- to 18-month program aimed at long-term self-sufficiency.

“Hope Haven is a transitional housing program for single moms and young children ages 10 and under,” Costley said. “It’s kind of a reset — a safe place for these moms and their children to get support and various skills, including parenting, workforce development and all the things they would need to be able to get on the right track and achieve permanent housing.”

As part of the program, Costley said mothers are required to complete a comprehensive curriculum called Life Skills 25, which covers budgeting, cooking, anger management and job retention skills. Participants are expected to secure employment by six months into their stay, with staff assisting in arranging childcare and career development support. Circle of Care programming will also remain accessible to residents after they graduate from the facility.

“Our mission is to educate, equip and empower individuals and families to thrive,” Costley said. “We just meet families where they are and work with them. We assess their needs and their strengths, and we help them kind of tap into those strengths and provide additional support services to help them achieve their own goals for their families.”

Costley said the staff plans to take a gradual approach to filling the facility to ensure operations run smoothly. Hope Haven is expected to reach 20% capacity by the end of this year and roughly 75% capacity by the end of its first year, with two additional wings available for future expansion.

“We are now ready to welcome our first family,” Costley said. “Hopefully by the middle of August, we will be welcoming families kind of on an incremental basis. We will not look to fill up immediately. We know there’s some logistical things we really can’t plan for, but we can just experience as they come, so we’re just kind of going to pace ourselves.”

Costley said community response to the launch has been overwhelmingly supportive as the program prepares to open its doors.

“We’re excited for this opportunity, and we have had a lot of folks in the community be very interested and curious and share our excitement,” she said. “So, it’s kind of been a long time coming, but now we’re ready to welcome our first families.”

Hope Haven is currently accepting eligibility applications. Once initial eligibility is established, staff conduct assessments to determine if the program is the right fit for the family prior to move-in. 

For more information about eligibility or services, residents can contact the Circle of Care Center for Families main office at (334) 768-4091 or visit their website at thecirclecares.com.