HopeLinc volunteer and supporter update

HopeLinc Volunteer & Supporter Update

Grateful for You — Excited for What’s Ahead

Friends,

I want to take a moment and talk plainly about what has happened this year—because it matters, and because you made it happen.

From an operational standpoint, the impact of our volunteers has been extraordinary. Compared to this same time last year, donations are up more than 400%. That is not a typo. At the same time, our number of transactions is up 37%, which means our volunteer cashiers are handling a significantly higher volume of work every single shift.

Despite that growth, the store is operating as smoothly as it ever has—and that is entirely because of volunteer effort, skill, and willingness to serve wherever needed. I am deeply grateful for that.

If you’re currently volunteering in one area and are willing to plug into another—sorting if you normally cashier, cashiering if you usually work behind the scenes—we could absolutely use the help. And as we head into the new year, I want to encourage you to bring a friend. We are building something good here, and every minute you give matters.

A Major Mission Shift — One Year in the Making

All of this work has supported something much bigger.

After more than a year of development, we have officially launched the HopeLinc Recovery Ecosystem, which you can see at:

👉 recoveryecosystem.ai/hopelinc

This represents a dramatic shift in how we serve people struggling with addiction. It’s honestly not what most people would expect to come out of a small ministry like ours—and yet, here it is.

In partnership with Choice Recovery, operated by David (who many of you know as our former staff addiction counselor and who now runs his own practice), we are already providing this ecosystem to people in early addiction recovery. David continues to work directly with our ministry, and the feedback we’ve received so far has been extremely encouraging. We’ll continue refining and strengthening the system as we go.

If you’d like to see the faith-based version, you can find it here:

👉 recoveryecosystem.ai/faith

Super Saturday — This Weekend

This Saturday is Super Saturday, traditionally the second biggest shopping day of the Christmas season, and the last Saturday before Christmas.

• 🕗 We open at 8:00 AM

• 🧰 Fully stocked with Treasure Hunt items

• 🎉 Multiple sales throughout the store

Historically, this season can be slower for thrift stores because people tend to buy new items. That’s just the reality of the business. Still, we’re hopeful for a strong day and a chance to boost our bottom line during what is usually a slower stretch.

If you can volunteer, or even just stop by to see what’s happening, we would love to have you. Please also share this with friends—every bit of awareness helps.

Marketing, Transparency, and Community Connection

We’ve ramped up our marketing efforts, and I’m encouraged by the response. Thank you to everyone who has shared posts, commented, or even just dropped an emoji. That engagement matters more than you might realize.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be releasing short videos explaining:

• How we manage donated items that must be disposed of

• How we handle and select inventory

• How we move certain sellable items to other thrift organizations

Staying connected with our community and answering these questions is important to us—and honestly, I’ve learned a lot myself through this process.

Looking Forward

As we pivot from a mission that primarily provided funding for entry into sober living homes to a digital recovery platform that can be used by providers anywhere, in many languages, we will reach far more people than we ever could as a small, stationary ministry.

Please take a moment to watch the video explaining this transition. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas, I genuinely want to hear them. Reach out to me directly or set up a time for us to talk.

With Deep Gratitude

Most of all, I want you to know how deeply moved and grateful I am for the faithfulness, trust, and loyalty you have shown during what has been a somewhat tumultuous year of transition.

I’m proud of what has been built.

I’m excited about what’s ahead.

And I’m thankful for every one of you.

Much love to you all, and Merry Christmas.

Dan Francis

Director, HopeLinc.org

Cumming Home Ministries 🎄