Locals Hub

Hope Heals Locals are seasonal 3-hour gatherings cultivating local community, offering soul rest, and offering encouraging programming for families affected by disabilities. Activities are tailored to our participant’s ages and abilities.

We strive to holistically serve every member of a family unit, so we engineer our event offerings around the needs, abilities, and ages of our Hope Heals Local participants. Adults will enjoy opportunities for relationship, relaxation, and being uplifted through thoughtfully selected speakers and entertainment. Kids and teens will experience a wide range of recreation, opportunities for connection, and memorable age-appropriate programming.

Each participant with a disability will be paired with a Compassionate Companion (CC for short) to act as an encourager, buddy, and helper throughout the event. Typically abled family members age 8 and younger will also be paired with a CC so parents can be fully present during their own programming.

Hope Heals Local exists to serve individuals and entire families affected by disability. If you or your family member have a disability of any kind, you all are invited to apply as a participant. Eligible applicants include:

families with a child with disabilities

families with a parent with disabilities

a couple with a spouse with disabilities

an individual with disabilities accompanied by a friend or family member who is the main point person to aid in their special needs

Please note that we are not able to serve participants with significant psychiatric disabilities or participants who have posed physical danger to themselves or others in the past.

Yes! Young children (with or without disabilities) are welcomed to attend with their families. Birth to 3 years will be placed in our nursery setting.

Our Compassionate Companion (CCs for short) will serve as your loved one's buddy during the Hope Heals Local gathering and will accompany your family member to all programming. CCs are not responsible for medical care. CCs will be paired with Locals based on age and gender. All CCs are over 18 and have been vetted through an application, training process, and background check.

We understand that all participants have unique situations and some may not desire to be paired with a buddy. Please email local@hopeheals.com if you have special pairing requests or needs.

We ask that Hope Heals Local applicants pay a $5 application fee per person to secure their spot. It will be refunded if we are unable to offer you a spot at the Hope Heals Local event. Financial assistance opportunities are available for those unable to pay the fee. Please email local@hopeheals.com for more information.

When applications open, they will be available here. Applicants who complete the entire application (which includes paperwork regarding each family member or friend attending) and pay the $5 per person application fee during the application window will be eligible for selection in a lottery drawing for a spot at the Hope Heals Local gathering. Applicants will be notified via email if they have been offered a spot or waitlisted starting.

If you are offered a spot to participate, you must complete a background check if this is your first time joining us at Hope Heals Local or Hope Heals Camp as an adult (18 years or older) OR you have not completed a background check for Hope Heals Local or Hope Heals Camp in the last three years and you are an adult (18 years or older).

You’ll receive an email invitation from STERLING VOLUNTEERS with instructions to initiate your background check. If you don’t see the email, check your spam folder. If you are currently age 17 but will be age 18 at the time of the Hope Heals Local event, we will initiate your background check after your 18th birthday. (By the way, the background check won’t cost you a dime!)

*If you have completed a background check within the past 3 years through Hope Heals Local or Hope Heals Camp no background check is required for now!

We will serve a delicious meal and can accommodate medically necessary gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets. You must indicate this need on the required participant application. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to email local@hopeheals.com.

Food will only be served to locals under the age of 18 when parents and caregivers are present. For our Locals in adult programming, your application prompts will indicate if a Local is able to safely eat and drink independently, in the case food was offered outside of the designated meal time.

Compassionate Companions (CCs) paired with adult, teen, or kid Locals are not responsible for the toileting needs that require assistance. Parents, spouses, and family members of participants in the adult, teen, and kid programming are responsible for incontinence care or toileting that requires assistance. Nursery Crew will assist with toileting needs of nursery participants.

If a participant does not require assistance but only supervision while using the restroom, two volunteers will wait outside of the bathroom stall to provide privacy and supervision for the participant.

If the participant does not need assistance, the participant may go into the restroom independently and their volunteer may wait outside of the restroom.

Atlanta — Participants may arrive starting at 9:30 AM ET. We’ll wrap up by 1:00 PM ET.

Birmingham — Participants may arrive starting at 9:30 AM CT. We’ll wrap up by 1:00 PM CT.