Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lisa Hoeve. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lisa , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

From idea to execution required a lot of thought, planning, risk taking and connecting with those that have traveled a similar road. I tend to be a person who is willing to teach themselves new things. But the past 10 years have taught me I don’t need to know it all and that there are some very well qualified people that do.

What our family thought would be a little project to support one local agency & 75 children a year entering foster care with 1st Night Bags, turned into a very large, fast growing, community supported nonprofit.

The first few steps I took was to clarify our purpose and goal. Once that was established, the artist and entrepreneur in me wanted some sort of visual, or logo. With the help of some online graphics sites, I created our Hope Pkgs logo. Story telling is an important part and my experience as a foster mom gave me many stories. Showing the world this challenge or problem and then also presenting them with a solution was vital. A solution they could be a part of was what we wanted to provide.

When our family “project” began to show large growth and community support we saw the opportunity of helping more than 75 children a year that enter foster care in Michigan. Maybe we could stretch a bit and help more of the 10,000 in care, in Michigan? This meant going from a project to a full-fledged nonprofit organization.

Near the start of our journey to the nonprofit process, my husband and I met with another couple who successfully run a large nonprofit near Holland Michigan. They gave us some amazing advice. This advice led us to another professional who helped set up our corporation and nonprofit status. She even foot the bill for the corporation license fee. Without these key people, I would have stumbled through a lot of foreign territory.

Understanding the correct way to create bylaws, register specific forms with the government, apply for nonprofit status and utilizing social media were necessities. Once we had our base set up, we launched our nonprofit into the social media world and received the attention of more businesses and organizations who now realized a big need in the foster care community.

Lisa , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As a west Michigan native who married her high school sweetheart, we both were on the same page as far as becoming a foster family. We had 5 kids already but had a huge heart for kids going through some very hard times. Our very first year fostering we saw the gap of basic needs that kids had when they moved into our home.

On one occasion we had two children move in and they arrived with new duffle bags with things like pjs, socks, underwear etc. This was a huge difference from other kids with just the clothes on their backs or things in a trash bag. After investigating, I learned that a local church would occasionally create these vital bags. My question was, how do we make these available to all kids, every day of the year? With a blessing from the church, we started Hope Pkgs out of our home. Providing new backpacks, diaper bags, pjs, socks, underwear, diapers, blankets and so much more for kids entering foster care.

To streamline this nonprofit, we work directly with the agencies and provide 1st Night Bags free of charge, in sizes preemie to 3X adult for the teens in care. This is not a one-time gift but a continuous resource for the children they serve.

As word spread, so did our territory of services. Soon we worked with local businesses that host donation boxes for us. We moved from one room in our house, to space in a church to renting in the Holland Town Center with approximately 1600 square feet.

Friends, family and many others have stepped up to donate their time and talents. From cleaning our headquarters, picking up donations at various partnering businesses, organizing our donations, shopping off our Amazon Wishlist, planning our yearly Fashion Show Fundraiser and so much more, we see great things happening in our community for the kids!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Our online audience has been built by providing photos of our community in action. Showing the many ways, people can make a difference. Whether it be from pickups at various businesses who host donation boxes, showing items purchased from our wish list, handmade items from locals, volunteers packing 1st night bags and events. All are important to spark ideas of how people can be involved and make a difference. Tagging those individuals and businesses is vital. Also sharing posts that others mention us in.

One particular surprise post that drew the attention of thousands was a post made on Reddit that my daughter shared. I had no idea she promoted Hope Pkgs until I started getting emails of people wanting to donate to our nonprofit. My daughter sent me a text explaining she might have made an error in posting about us and wondered if she should take it down. I said, “no, lets see what happens”. It was amazing to see so many people who have been impacted by foster care and those that have received 1st night bags that helped bring them comfort and hope. This post went viral and raised a great amount of funds.

Recently we hired a marketing group which has been a phenomenal step in our growth. Automating, storytelling and calls to action are so important.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I believe in continuing education. Some of my favorite reads that I’ve gained nuggets from are: “Make Your Bed” by William H. McRaven, & “Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson and “The Little Book of Boards” by Erik Hanberg. Currently I am currently reading “Traction” by Gino Wickman.
Another resource that has helped grow our nonprofit as well as myself is investing in a business coach. This is something I’d highly suggest if you feel like you need accountability, self-discovery and working through growth and challenges.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hopepkgs.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopepkgs/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopepkgs/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-hoeve-22466731b
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/HopePkgs/status/1282393626807545856
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ9vGrFfl_L5oFP6deRGLig
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hopepkgsmi

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