About the Ray of Hope Project

ABOUT THE RAY OF HOPE PROJECT

Statement of Our Mission

The Ray of Hope Project is a registered Pennsylvania 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to bringing hope to those who cannot afford urgently needed home repairs in the Communities of Philadelphia, while also offering rehabilitative job skills training to former inmates and educational apprenticeships for other qualified persons. The Ray of Hope Project is supported solely by charitable contributions and works to bring diverse communities together in a program demonstrating that, together, people can make a difference.

History

In October of 2002, Raymond Gant and Willard Bostock were returning from a Philadelphia Eagles / Tampa Bay Buccaneers football game. On the drive home, they began a discussion about the community needs of Philadelphia. After conversing about the topic for several hours, they concluded that one of those community needs was the rehabilitation of badly damaged homes which were unsafe and unhealthy for their occupants as well as an eyesore in their communities. Hence, The Ray of Hope Project was born.

Initially, the two men worked together to repair and renovate as many homes as they could on their own. Eventually, they realized that the need was so great, they would need to develop their efforts further by creating a full-fledged organization to expand their operations. At this point, they recruited a Board of Directors and a volunteer staff to help coordinate projects, raise funds, recruit more volunteers, and perform a myriad of other functions. Since its conception, The Ray of Hope Project has rehabilitated more than 80 homes in the metropolitan Philadelphia area.

Please see Sunday Rock Climber Ascends to a Higher Calling in N. Phila. for a more in-depth view of our co-founders, Raymond and Willard!


Willard Bostock Co-Founder		Ray Gant President & Co-Founder