Hangouts
Consistent one-on-one meet-ups for adults with and without disabilities to form real-deal friendships
Moms at Mend
Mentorship program for moms raising kids with disabilities to give and receive support
Hope Heals Hangouts
When people with disabilities age out of the school system, their social circles often shrink to parents and paid caregivers. That doesn’t work for us.
Hope Heals Hangouts offers adults and young adults living with disabilities opportunities to experience belonging and belovedness outside the home. It’s also an opportunity for typically developing adults to learn from and delight in a new kind of friendship. Participants with disabilities are paired with a new friend to gather twice a month at Mend Coffee & Goods in Atlanta.
Participants and volunteers of all abilities are welcome to register for Hangouts—see below to find out if you’re a good fit for this experience! Volunteers will receive a training session from Hope Heals prior to their first Hangouts. Commitments are seasonal and participation is free of charge!
Hope Heals Hangouts registration will resume in 2026. Sign up for our email list for updates!
Is Hope Heals Hangouts a great fit for you?
Participants
18 years of age or older
Atlanta-based
Living with a disability
Looking for friendship
No violent behaviors
Committed to regular gatherings
Has access to transportation
Background checked
Volunteers
18 years of age or older
Atlanta-based
Friendly and compassionate
Inclusion-minded
Willing to learn and grow
Committed to regular gatherings
No disability experience necessary!
Background checked
Frequently Asked Questions
Hangout pairings are matched by gender and age. Participants and volunteers will be placed in small groupings of 4-6 for the first few gatherings, then you’ll meet with your Hangouts friend one-on-one.
Yes! Parents and caregivers are not required to remain with participants with disabilities during Hope Heals Hangouts. In fact, we encourage parents and caregivers to consider this time as a little bit of respite. Please make sure to arrange pick-up details and be prepared to pick up the Hope Heals Hangouts participant promptly at the end of the gathering. Volunteers are not responsible for providing rides.
Hangouts will take place two times a month, based on the availability you selected during the registration process. Once you’ve completed registration, we will contact you with your specific gathering schedule.
Volunteers will be trained on mindful disability etiquette, the culture and values of Hope Heals and MEND, appropriate and dignifying language, and basic safeguarding policies. Our training will prepare you to be a great friend and address any jitters you may feel!
Yes, and you’re going to love it! For the comfort and safety of the Hope Heals Hangouts community, our gatherings will take place at MEND Coffee and Goods in Buckhead. After your one-on-one friendship is established, our Hope Heals Hangout director Caroline will coach you on what meeting up outside of MEND might look like.
People living with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to abuse of all kinds. To protect the wellbeing of our participants and to safeguard our volunteers, we require volunteers and participants (whether they have a disability or not) to complete a background check before gathering for Hope Heals Hangouts. Once you register, we will send instructions for completing your background check.
Questions? We love questions. Email contact@hopeheals.com to find out what you need to know about Hangouts.
Moms at MEND
Mothering kids with disabilities presents unique challenges, joys, sorrows, and gifts! You don’t have to navigate the journey alone. When we are unsure of the path forward, God gives us one another to find the way.
Moms at MEND pairs women earlier on in their motherhood journey with long-time disability moms. We believe that relationships are the greatest resource, so we’re matching mentor and mentee moms to support one another through the experience of loving and leading a family affected by disabilities.
Our participants will meet once a month at MEND Coffee & Goods in groups of four—two mentors and two mentees. You’ll work through a loosely guided discussion with peers who understand. Moms at MEND is a safe, supportive space to process the complexities disability adds to marriage, aging, education, sibling dynamics, careers, and more.
Moms at MEND registration will open in 2026. Sign up for our email list for updates!
Are you a great fit for Moms at Mend?
Mentors
Mother to a person with disabilities
Disability mom for 5+ years
Atlanta-based
Committed to regular gatherings
Access to childcare during gatherings
Mentees
Mother to a person with disabilities
Disability mom for less than 5 years
Atlanta-based
Committed to regular gatherings
Access to childcare during gatherings
Frequently Asked Questions
We welcome all mothers in any phase of parenting a child experiencing disabilities, whether that child is an infant or an adult. Foster moms and expectant moms are welcome!
Yes! Moms can visit a group twice before committing. Please email contact@hopeheals.com to schedule your visit.
Childcare is not available. If you need to discuss financial reimbursement for childcare while you attend Moms at MEND, please email contact@hopeheals.com
Our first groups will meet in Spring of 2026. Sign up for our email list to receive registration updates.
Questions? We love questions. Email contact@hopeheals.com to learn more about Moms at Mend!