Door of Hope
Door of Hope works with families that are overcoming homelessness. We equip them with housing through our three locations, provide them with numerous resources, and ensure that their transition into stable housing is as smooth as possible. For the kids, we have after-school programs that provide academic help, life skills lessons, and intentional structuring (and fun) to help piece together their lives. Our focus and mission is to equip families to lead better lives.
Door of Hope does this by combating past trauma, loss, and chaos with a place where children can experience care, new memories, and stability. We are constantly looking for field trip ideas, and since I climb at Hollywood Boulders, I decided to bring the kids climbing.
Setting up the Event
From the very beginning, the Hollywood Boulders staff was welcoming, accommodating and flexible. When we planning for this trip, hyping the kids up for bouldering proved to be a challenge… ‘What’s that?’ ‘No ropes? No way.’ ‘We’ll fall and die.’ Etc. etc. Activities like bouldering are not high on the list of priorities when the kids’ parents are hard at work, saving money and looking for long-term housing.
Much to their surprise, the kids entered Hollywood Boulders and immediately ran to tackle mismatched problems, completely forgetting their fears and apprehensions.
Overcoming Fears
Charlee was our designated Hollywood Boulders staff, and we absolutely lucked out. She started the field trip by gathering us into a powwow. We all shared our names and our favorite animals, in true camp fashion. Then, she patiently went over safety and demonstrations. Charlee went above and beyond to remember everyone’s names, to watch over them protectively, and to humor them with high spirits and laughs along the way.
The kids learned some valuable lessons from this event. In addition to learning about a new experience and bouldering, this trip taught them to go for things they never thought they could do. They were forced to go out of their comfort zones, and they had to learn to overcome certain fears.
Thank You
Some of our kids had a real knack for bouldering. What meant the most, though, is that Hollywood Boulders and its staff gave our kids a fun, safe space for them to do just that: be kids. For that, we cannot express the amount of gratitude we have for the staff at Hollywood Boulders.
Thank you!
Gloria Kim
Doors Of Hope Assistant & Development Team Intern
