Where is the Aloha House of Hope located?

The Aloha House of Hope is located on 190 acres in a rural area of Virginia. Because of the nature of what they do, the exact location is not published in order to protect the children.

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What is daily life like at the Aloha House of Hope?

Life at the Aloha House of Hope is all about family with Jesus Christ at the center.  A typical weekday consists of the school age kids getting up at 6:30 a.m., getting their breakfast before heading up to the school room to begin their studies.  Breaks are taken mid morning and mid afternoon for the kids to go outdoors to exercise and take a break from their schoolwork.  Lunch breaks are at noon where the kids gather in the kitchen to eat.  Suppertime is around the dinner table together for prayer and a delicious home cooked meal made from scratch by Donna.  Friday nights are the highlight of the week.  It's what we call “Family Movie Night”.  Homemade pizzas are served up along with popcorn and other treats while we all sit back and enjoy a very family friendly movie that is safe to watch for all the kids.  Saturday mornings are time for chores followed by a big country style family breakfast served mid morning which includes bacon, eggs, pancakes or waffles, homemade biscuits and sausage gravy.  Sundays are time for church which is usually followed by a fellowship meal with the other families at church.  There is never a dull moment at the Aloha House of Hope.

 

How do you support the operations of the Aloha House of Hope?

The Spencers have put their life savings and everything they own into the Aloha House of Hope. The Aloha House of Hope is a nonprofit corporation with a 501c3 designation from the Internal Revenue Service. We depend on donations to continue doing the work that God has called us to do. All donations are tax deductible.

 

Are you certified foster parents?

Doug and Donna Spencer have both been through the foster parent training provided by the Virginia Department of Social Services, and are fully certified and licensed as foster parents.

 

What are the long range plans for the Aloha House of Hope?

The Spencers envision creating a self sustaining community on the 190 acres that God has entrusted to them. Future plans call for building additional homes where other couples who are called by God can come and provide a loving home for children in need. They also want to raise much of their own food with a small working farm on the property, raising beef cattle, chickens, and pigs, as well as planting a vegetable garden and fruit orchard. As the number of children at the Aloha House of Hope increases, they hope to one day build their own school building. We're now talking about adding an equestrian program and we hope to have it available in the next year.

 

Do you have any current needs?

In addition to monetary donations, there is always a need for consumables.

such as toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and laundry soap (HE type).

 

Are you affiliated withy any denomination?

The Aloha House of Hope is a 100% Christian run organization, but we are not affiliated with any denomination. The Spencers, along with the children at the Aloha House of Hope, attend a non-denominational evangelical church.

 

Where do the kids you take in come from?

The majority of kids that come into the Aloha House of Hope come through the foster care system, but they also take in kids that come from private placements.

 

Do you take in children with serious mental or behavioral issues?

Every child is evaluated on a case by case basis. The Aloha House of Hope is not licensed as a therapeutic care home and therefore are not equipped to deal with the unique circumstances of children who have serious mental or behavioral issues.

 

Do you take in kids that have drug dependencies or criminal backgrounds?

The children who come into the Aloha House of Hope cannot currently have any drug dependencies (except for drugs prescribed by their treating physician) nor can they have any criminal background.