About
House of Hope is an ecumenical, non-denominational nonprofit that has helped Garrett County residents through short-term emergencies since 1978. It is listed at 202 South 4th Street in Oakland and also has an office at 685 Mosser Road, Suite 121, on the Garrett College campus in McHenry, and it serves anyone in the county with a genuine need that no other agency can meet.
How House of Hope Helps
House of Hope describes itself as a network of concern rather than an agency. It doesn't duplicate other services: when another program exists, it points you there, and when program rules leave someone falling between the cracks, it steps in as a temporary safety net until longer-term help is in place. The areas it covers include:
- Food, through two free food pantries in Deer Park and Grantsville
- Heat, when a household faces winter without heat
- Shelter, for people at risk of homelessness after a natural disaster or financial crisis
- Medical needs, when someone can't afford treatment or prescription medication
- Other unmet emergency needs, looked at case by case
Getting Help
Help is given by appointment, so start with a phone call or an email rather than dropping by. The food pantries also ask you to call ahead and schedule a visit. Maryland 211 lists House of Hope for help with utility bills, eviction prevention, prescriptions and medical bills, offered case by case when no other resource is available.
Donating and Volunteering
House of Hope runs entirely on free-will donations and does not seek or accept government funding, so local giving is what keeps it going. You can donate through its website. Volunteers staff the pantries, answer the help line one day a month, shop for people in need, and lend specific skills when a situation calls for them.
If you or a neighbour is facing an emergency in Garrett County, a call to House of Hope is a good place to start.
Address
202 S 4th St, Oakland, MD 21550