Our Story
Angels of Hope, Inc., was created in July 2005 to serve as beacons of hope for those suffering from the emotional and physical absence of a child. What began as three friends meeting for church projects, grew into a discussion of raising infertility awareness and ultimately the desire to bring an Angel of Hope statue to the Village of Coal City, Illinois.
A group of individuals, some suffering the loss of a child and some touched by the loss of others, began working on its first project: to construct an Angel of Hope Memorial Park in the Village of Coal City by Fall 2007. After obtaining approval from the Village of Coal City, the group began working towards raising the approximately $60,000 necessary to complete the park. Due to the dedication of its volunteers and the outpouring of support from the community and local businesses, the funds were raised in just a few short months.
On December 6, 2005, Angels of Hope, Inc., hosted its first Candlelight Vigil at Campbell Memorial Park, the future site of the angel memorial, knowing that the first project of the organization was going to be a reality in the coming year. Despite the bitterly cold night, the remembrance ceremony was attended by nearly 200 people.
The following year, on October 7, 2006, a dedication ceremony was held for the completed park. On this beautiful fall Saturday, Lisa Johnson, a representative from The Christmas Box House International, traveled from Utah to attend the event - at which time she recognized our angel as the 69th angel memorial to be placed in the United States .
On January 1, 2007, we began our second project, The Creating Miracles Grant program. It is our hope that with monetary assistance, we can close the financial gap that stands between married couples and the fertility assistance required to conceive a child.
On April 1, 2007, we launched our third project, The Everlasting Footprints Grant, which will provide headstone and burial cost assistance to area families who suffer the death of a child from stillborn to the age of three.
In 2011, we launched our partnership with Sawyer's Heart Project, which will provide immediate support and comfort to bereaved parents who have experienced a pregnancy loss, stillbirth or the loss of an infant through the distribution of hospital memory boxes.
Angels of Hope, Inc, also wishes to increase awareness of the grieving process as it relates to the loss of a child and the loss of fertility through advocacy and public education, with the hope of offering positive support during times of need. We hope that those who need us will find us and that we are able to provide them with some form of assistance.
