Executive Director
One county. Common unity.
A day of service became a way of life.
Hope 4 Gaston began with a simple conviction: when churches, businesses, public servants, and neighbors move together, a community can change.
2009
Where it began
One neighborhood. Eleven churches. Hundreds of volunteers.
In May 2009, churches, Gastonia businesses, and the City of Gastonia gathered in the Highland East community to help neighbors in need. Volunteers refurbished 15 homes, and more than 1,000 people received a box of food with enough for a family of four for a week.
Five months later, the community returned in even greater numbers. Thirty-eight homes were refurbished, 1,200 people received food, and a free “thrift store” appeared for the first time. That store became the Closet of Hope.
May 2009
The first service day
Fifteen homes refurbished and food shared with more than 1,000 neighbors.
October 2009
The movement grows
Thirty-eight homes, food for 1,200 people, and the first free Closet of Hope.
Year-round
A permanent home
The Closet becomes an ongoing resource for referred families across Gaston County.
Today
Faith made practical
Partners and volunteers continue to respond locally and wherever neighbors are in crisis.
What we believe
Every person carries God-given dignity.
Building a Community with a Common Unity
Hope 4 Gaston's work is rooted in the Christian call to love your neighbor as yourself. Service is not a transaction. It is an expression of compassion, justice, and the value of every person.
Vision statement
Leading a cooperative effort of churches, local government and businesses to create a community of people who through the giving and receiving of assistance will be inspired to “love your neighbor as yourself”.
“The passion God places in your heart will always triumph over the fear you place in your mind.”Pastor John Whitaker
Service in motion
Real response. Real neighbors. Measured in what reached people's hands.
1,000food bags packed for Hurricane Helene relief
6,000diapers sorted and palletized
275boxes of baby wipes prepared
2009the year a one-day service project became a movement
Hurricane Helene relief
Hope traveled west.
Hope 4 Gaston helped pack 1,000 food-delivery bags and sort and palletize 6,000 diapers and 275 boxes of baby wipes for friends in Marion, North Carolina.
The team then traveled farther into the mountains, helping provide meals through the Straight A Way Cafe community relief center with support from Hillbillies BBQ.
Help power the next responseLeadership
Stewards of the mission.
Community, faith, military, education, and business experience gathered around one table.
Board Member
Frank A. Stewart
Founder of Ultra Machine & Fabrication and an experienced civic and business leader with decades of service across the Carolinas.
Board Member
Anthony Gallant
Local business owner and community advocate serving families and organizations throughout Gaston County.
Board Member
Dickie Spargo
Senior Pastor of City Church and a longtime champion of large-scale volunteer service in Gaston County.
Board Member
Gerald Kennedy
Local business owner and dedicated supporter of Hope 4 Gaston and other community organizations.
Board Member
Kevin Laye
Gaston County native, business leader, and longtime church and community volunteer.
Board Member
Ricky Collins
Pastor, music educator, and community leader with a heart for service and spiritual formation.
Treasurer
Shane Davis
Accounting and logistics professional, pastoral counselor, and active volunteer in Gastonia.Take the next step
The story keeps moving through people like you.
Join a network of neighbors who turn compassion into practical help.