Hope Heals is making a version of the world especially for people with disabilities.

Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities.

Nearly 20% of people in the United States are living with a disability, a staggering statistic that doesn’t begin to account for the parents, siblings, caregivers and friends who also live with the ripple effects of their loved one’s disability. People with disabilities and their families are disproportionately vulnerable to chronic unemployment, depression, divorce, and housing insecurity. These people, who are made in God’s image, are struggling to live in a world that’s not made for them. Hope Heals is making our own version of the world made especially for people with disabilities.

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The story of our sacred spaces is a deeply personal one. After surviving a catastrophic stroke and acquiring life-altering disabilities herself at the age of 26, Katherine Wolf and her family became intimately familiar with the social isolation and lack of church accessibility for people living with disabilities. Burdened to alleviate some of that loneliness for other families like their own, Katherine and Jay began speaking around the country and writing books about their hardship and their hope.

In 2017 they founded Hope Heals Camp, the only retreat in the world inviting entire families affected by disabilities—regardless of age, diagnosis, or location—to enjoy multi-day respite, a rich network of relationships, and access to world class resources, completely free of charge. The Hope Heals Camp community includes campers affected by disabilities as well as volunteers, and this dynamic led to something special. The lines between who is serving and who is receiving are totally blurred. Our friends without disabilities have hurts that need healing and our friends with disabilities are a part of that healing.

After witnessing the life-changing benefits of the inter-ability relationships begun at the seasonal sessions of Hope Heals Camp, the Wolfs decided to undertake a year-round manifestation of their camp community. In 2024 they opened MEND Coffee and Goods, Atlanta’s only accessibility-first coffee shop.

Every sacred space we’re building exists to disrupt the myth that joy can only be found in a pain-free life. We’re championing the belonging and belovedness of people affected by disabilities by preparing beautiful, intentional, life-giving social and spiritual spaces made especially for them.

Our Values

Every person was made by God and is loved by God. All people have inherent dignity and value, regardless of what they can or cannot do. At Hope Heals, we don’t believe that disability is a problem to be solved. Instead, we’ve learned that living with disabilities or among friends with disabilities is an invitation to experiencing our belovedness apart from achievement. People with disabilities have so much to teach the world about the love of God, but we must give them the dignity of sharing their wisdom in their own unique ways. God is far too vast to be expressed in just one way or by just one person, which is why people with disabilities are a vital part of the diverse manifestation of God through humanity. People with disabilities reflect parts of God’s character that other people might not! We want our sacred spaces and the inter-ability communities to emphasize and uplift God’s image in every person present.

People affected by disabilities are living in a world that does not prioritize their needs. Often disabled people are made to feel like an afterthought, unworthy of receiving anything but the leftovers. That’s true in schools, workplaces, public spaces, and even in the church. Jesus says that in God’s kingdom, “the last will be first,” and we really like his style! That’s why we want our sacred spaces to feel like a subversion of the world, one in which people with disabilities are preprepared for and prioritized. The excellence of our offerings honor the inherent worth of all people with disabilities. We want our spaces to reflect God’s nature as the source of everything good and beautiful.

If God has called all people to know and love him, that means He’s calling people with disabilities to know and love him, too! We believe ministry should not be TO people with disabilities, but WITH and alongside people who have disabilities. In inter-ability communities, we encourage and equip each other into every good work to respond to God’s call on each of our lives. We can all give and we can all receive. We recognize that we are all disabled by something, whether it’s a medical diagnosis, grief, disappointment, or heartbreak. This is why Hope Heals is committed to a spirit of mutual ministry free from hierarchy or condescension. Our community recognizes that we all have places in need of healing and every single one of us has gifts to offer the world. We are replacing an “us versus them” mentality with a posture of interdependence.

We believe that God is welcoming all people into his family and preparing a place for us in his heavenly home. He’ll stop at nothing to guarantee we feel accepted by him. He is the ultimate host! Because we believe this, we go to great lengths to communicate care to one another. We are guided by the reality that true hospitality is accessibility. It doesn’t matter how beautifully we’ve set the table if our guests can’t even get in the door. We want every detail to communicate that “you were meant to be here.” Working with people with disabilities means there is no such thing as “typical” or “standard.” The exception is the rule, and we delight in that!

None of us are living the lives we imagined we’d be living. We’re not guaranteed easy circumstances or a perfectly happy ending, so our peace and fulfillment can’t be dependent on getting our desired outcomes. We don’t wait to celebrate because if we waited for a happy ending to be grateful for our lives, then we’d be waiting forever. At Hope Heals, we’re redefining what deserves to be celebrated. We don’t believe in big wins or small wins. A win is a win, and those wins should be honored. Heck, the losses should be honored, too! And even when our circumstances are not unfolding in the ways we hope and pray for, we still have something to celebrate: that God has given us himself and each other in the process of our pain.

Our Values

Every person was made by God and is loved by God. All people have inherent dignity and value, regardless of what they can or cannot do. At Hope Heals, we don’t believe that disability is a problem to be solved. Instead, we’ve learned that living with disabilities or among friends with disabilities is an invitation to experiencing our belovedness apart from achievement. People with disabilities have so much to teach the world about the love of God, but we must give them the dignity of sharing their wisdom in their own unique ways. God is far too vast to be expressed in just one way or by just one person, which is why people with disabilities are a vital part of the diverse manifestation of God through humanity. People with disabilities reflect parts of God’s character that other people might not! We want our sacred spaces and the inter-ability communities to emphasize and uplift God’s image in every person present.

People affected by disabilities are living in a world that does not prioritize their needs. Often disabled people are made to feel like an afterthought, unworthy of receiving anything but the leftovers. That’s true in schools, workplaces, public spaces, and even in the church. Jesus says that in God’s kingdom, “the last will be first,” and we really like his style! That’s why we want our sacred spaces to feel like a subversion of the world, one in which people with disabilities are preprepared for and prioritized. The excellence of our offerings honor the inherent worth of all people with disabilities. We want our spaces to reflect God’s nature as the source of everything good and beautiful.

If God has called all people to know and love him, that means He’s calling people with disabilities to know and love him, too! We believe ministry should not be TO people with disabilities, but WITH and alongside people who have disabilities. In inter-ability communities, we encourage and equip each other into every good work to respond to God’s call on each of our lives. We can all give and we can all receive. We recognize that we are all disabled by something, whether it’s a medical diagnosis, grief, disappointment, or heartbreak. This is why Hope Heals is committed to a spirit of mutual ministry free from hierarchy or condescension. Our community recognizes that we all have places in need of healing and every single one of us has gifts to offer the world. We are replacing an “us versus them” mentality with a posture of interdependence.

We believe that God is welcoming all people into his family and preparing a place for us in his heavenly home. He’ll stop at nothing to guarantee we feel accepted by him. He is the ultimate host! Because we believe this, we go to great lengths to communicate care to one another. We are guided by the reality that true hospitality is accessibility. It doesn’t matter how beautifully we’ve set the table if our guests can’t even get in the door. We want every detail to communicate that “you were meant to be here.” Working with people with disabilities means there is no such thing as “typical” or “standard.” The exception is the rule, and we delight in that!

None of us are living the lives we imagined we’d be living. We’re not guaranteed easy circumstances or a perfectly happy ending, so our peace and fulfillment can’t be dependent on getting our desired outcomes. We don’t wait to celebrate because if we waited for a happy ending to be grateful for our lives, then we’d be waiting forever. At Hope Heals, we’re redefining what deserves to be celebrated. We don’t believe in big wins or small wins. A win is a win, and those wins should be honored. Heck, the losses should be honored, too! And even when our circumstances are not unfolding in the ways we hope and pray for, we still have something to celebrate: that God has given us himself and each other in the process of our pain.

Who We Care For

People with disabilities are the largest minority group in the world.

More than one in four American adults live with a disability of some kind.

People with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable

to unemployment, homelessness, divorce, depression, and suicidality.

Social isolation, loneliness, and a lack of meaningful friendships

are identified as the most common pain points for families affected by disabilities.

People with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable

to unemployment, homelessness, divorce, depression, and suicide.

Social isolation, loneliness, and a lack of meaningful friendships

are identified as the most common pain points for families affected by disabilities.

People with disabilities are more likely than their peers to never attend church.

Once people with disabilities age out of the school system,

their social networks often shrink down to aging parents and paid caregivers.

How We’re Doing It

Each year, Hope Heals Camps and Retreats welcome over 2,300 participants living with more than 150 primary diagnoses

 

MEND Coffee and Goods is Atlanta’s only accessibility-first coffee shop. People with disabilities account for 48% of our team!

 

We’re forming mutually meaningful friendships and mentorships through regular small group gatherings of adults with and without disabilities in Atlanta.

 

Our ever-growing collection of free digital content and lineup of wisdom-packed books are guiding over 500,000 people from hurt to healing to hope.

 

Our Founders

God turned a mess into a message. Misery into a ministry.

Katherine and Jay Wolf are survivors, advocates, and truth-tellers to suffering souls. Originally from the South, Katherine and Jay met in college, married and moved to Los Angeles to pursue law school for Jay and the entertainment industry for Katherine. In 2008, as their six-month old baby slept in the next room, Katherine suffered a catastrophic stroke out of the blue. Miraculously, she survived and, to this day, she’s learning to live her bittersweet, second-chance life to its fullest. What began as Katherine and Jay’s part-time speaking ministry has burst into a constellation of spaces, resources, and communities supported by dozens of Hope Heals and MEND teammates.

Read the full story

Our Team

Katherine Wolf

Co-founder, Chief Inspiration Officer

Jay Wolf

Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer

Leah Case

Chief Operating Officer

Alex Wolf

Chief Content Officer

Susan Robinson

Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships

Becca Cruz

Creative & Communications Director

Stacey
Knofczynski

Director of Administration and Logistics

Jordyn Robinson

Director of Community Care and Engagement

Sarah Gabriel

Director of Disability Advocacy and Education

Hannah Barnard

Retail and Resource Manager

Ashe Rutherford

General Manager of MEND

Paige Fisk

Executive Assistant

Lauren McNaron

Administrative Coordinator

Our Board of Directors

Marc Ackerman

Amy Julia Becker

John McGovern

Rob Metcalf

Brad Pugh

Sarah Reimers

Willis Robertson

Ann Shearer

McKittrick Simmons

Meade Stone

We love making new friends.

For general questions and messages—or just to say hello!— fill out the form below. We’re always available by email at contact@hopeheals.com

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