Who We Are: Our Beliefs & Values
Hope Inspired Ministries (HIM) is a faith-based, local non-profit designed to train low-skilled, poorly educated, and/or chronically unemployed men and women to obtain and maintain employment. Through a rigorous 9-week job training program, each student participates in 360 hours of training which includes soft skills, employment skills, financial management, problem solving, conflict resolution and so many other critical skills. Each student participates in an internship with a local business. We conclude the course with a cap and gown graduation where every student offers a 3-5 minute speech regarding lessons learned in the course.
We at HIM believe the best way to help the poor is to train them how to become self-sufficient by utilizing the gifts and abilities that our Creator has bestowed upon each of them. In doing so, we hope to bring honor to our God by the transformation that He produces in our students!
Our Mission
Hope Inspired Ministries serves low-skilled, poorly educated, and chronically unemployed men and women by preparing them to obtain and maintain employment. We do so in a manner that develops individual worth, encourages personal responsibility, and promotes the value and honor of work. We introduce a way of life that promotes the development of the emotional, physical, and spiritual maturity in each student.
Our Team
Volunteer
Students
History
Employers
News & Events
Hope Inspired Ministries seeks to serve those who are low skilled, poorly educated, and chronically unemployed by preparing and equipping them to obtain and maintain employment through a 9-week job training course.
Our program is relational and transformative in nature, providing more than 360 hours of training, including life skills, employment skills, character building, unpaid internships with local businesses and GED training.
What makes our program different is that we are relational in nature, meaning we invest time in peoples’ lives and walk out this process of transformation with each of our students. We are willing to walk hand-in-hand as they walk out this journey and hold them accountable to meet the high standards of our course. We not only want to instill education, soft skills and training into our students, but we also want to help them become the people God intended them to be.
Meet Our Board Of Directors
Willie Durham
Board Member
Willie Durham has served on the HIM Board of Directors since 2018. He is an Agent for State Farm Insurance. Willie retired from the United States Marine Corps, and has also served as the Commissioner of Montgomery Housing Authority, Past President of Montgomery Sunrise Rotary, and Past Chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.
Marty Lee
Board Member
Marty Lee has served on the HIM Board of Directors since 2017, and is Principal at Jackson Thornton Certified Public Accountants & Consultants. His area of practice is assurance services for not for profit organizations, employee benefit plans and cotton merchants and cotton cooperatives.
Marty is a graduate of Auburn University at Montgomery and serves on the Goodwill Industries Advisory Board and the Montgomery Habitat for Humanity Board. He is also an active member of the First United Methodist Church and a member of the Montgomery Sunrise Rotary Club.
Ellenann Yelverton
Board Member
Ellenann Yelverton is Vice-President, general Counsel of Raycom Media, Inc. She is a proud graduate of Auburn University, The University of Alabama Law School of Class 10 of the Alabama State Bars Leadership Forum. Prior to joining Raycom, Ellenann was in private practice in Montgomery, with a focus of civil litigation. Ellenann is a longtime resident of Montgomery, and began her tenure on our HIM Board of Directors since 2019. She currently serves on the Executive Committee as Secretary.
Gene McCord
Board Member
Gene was born and raised in Birmingham, AL. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, Birmingham in Social and Behavioral Sciences. Later that year he married his wife, Bonita, and went to work for the Alabama Department of Corrections. In the evenings he earned his master’s degree from Troy State University in Counseling and Human Development. He transitioned to the pharmaceutical industry where he spent 40 years prior to joining Hope Inspired Ministries in August 2020. While in the pharmaceutical industry Gene completed on-campus programs at Wharton, Columbia University Graduate School of Business, and The University of Michigan Business School. He also completed the Restoring The Foundations program at Transformational Ministries. Gene has served on the Church of the Highlands Correctional Ministry Team since around 2013, leading Sunday services and small groups in Donaldson and Bibb men’s correctional facilities. He and Bonita were also Sunday service leaders at Tutwiler Women’s Correctional Facility. Gene and Bonita have a son and daughter living in Alabama. In his free time Gene enjoys time with family, fishing and skeet shooting.
Chuck DiLaura
Board Member
Chuck DiLaura has served on the Board of Hope Inspired Ministries for 5 years. He has served as Chair, Vice-Chair and currently serves on the Executive Committee as Treasurer. Chuck is the retired President of Neptune Technology Group. He resides in Montgomery, Alabama, and is also on the Board of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, a member of the Alabama Workforce Council, the Education Attainment Committee, and a member of the Montgomery Chamber Committee of 100.
Vicki Williams
Board Member
Vicki Williams is very nearly a Montgomery native. She moved to town at the age of four from Raleigh, North Carolina, and grew up to graduate from Lanier High School and Auburn University. Vicki has been working in the mortgage industry since 1971, currently at Fairway Mortgage Company. Vicki has served on the HIM Board of Directors since 2018.
Cleveland Poole
Board Member
Cleve has served on the HIM Board of Directors since 2018, and currently serves as the Chairman. He is the Vice-President of Economic Development and Legal Affairs for Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Inc. He is a Member of Alabama Workforce Council, a Member and Vice-Chair of Alabama Workforce (WIOA) Board, and Board Member for Central AlabamaWorks and SouthWest AlabamaWorks. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Lowndes County Economic Development Commission. He is involved in many community organizations in Butler County.
Mike Vinson
Board Member
Mike Vinson is the President of Adams Drugs, a 12-store family owned regional pharmacy serving 60,000 patients in the River Region. Adams Drugs is a tremendous community supporter with sponsorships including the March of Dime Breakfast for Babies program, many youth sports programs and Hope Inspired Ministries. Mike has served on the Board of Hope Inspired Ministries since 2017.
Cade Armstrong
Board Member
Dr. Armstrong is the Owner/Partner of Montgomery Veterinary Associates. He is a 2003 graduate of Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine. He grew up in Montgomery, and returned in 2005 after 2 years of practicing in Thomasville, Georgia. He is very active in the community, and works with Service Dogs of Alabama and Hope Inspired Ministries. He has served on the HIM Board of Directors since 2017, currently serving as Vice-Chair.
Gene Reese
Board Member
Gene Reese retired from his long and distinguished career as Judge in the Alabama 15th Judicial Circuit in Montgomery County, Alabama in 2017. He began serving on the Board of Directors in 2018.
Liz Smith
Board Member
Liz Smith joined the Hope Inspired Ministries Board of Directors in 2018
Jane Allen
Board Member
Jane began serving in 2016.