As my second week of the Columbus Foundation Fellowship concludes, I find myself reflecting on a point that Hope Hollow’s co-founder, Kevin Clark, has reiterated time and again in conversation: the importance of relationships. 

This week, I have dedicated a significant portion of my time towards revamping Hope Hollow’s website. Doing so has given me the opportunity to hear stories about Hope Hollow’s founding, numerous patient testimonials, and about Hope Hollow’s signature events. Through it all, I have been amazed by the community support that Hope Hollow receives. While a significant portion of the brunt work falls on the shoulders of Hope Hollow’s co-founders, so many people have a hand in Hope Hollow’s ability to successfully assist the cancer community. Just this week, I met two business owners who have generously decided to donate their professional services to Hope Hollow. After speaking to both business owners, I noted that they mentioned the importance of Hope Hollow’s mission and services, but equally important, in their eyes, were the significant relationships they had built with Kevin and Jane.

To date, I have spoken with around 30 members of Hope Hollow’s community who hold various roles (e.g. social workers, volunteers, Jane’s former students, professionals who donate their services or money to Hope Hollow, etc). While Kevin and Jane have stressed the fact that the relationships they have with cancer patients and their loved ones is the top priority, it is clear that they have mastered the art of forming meaningful relationships of all sorts.

As I move forward with my work on Hope Hollow’s website, I have realized how powerful and valuable these relationships are (particularly the professionals who are volunteering their time to help with the website design). Even though Kevin thinks that I am tech-savvy, there is simply no way I could create a functioning and aesthetically pleasing WordPress website for Hope Hollow, so good thing we have the help of professionals.

In the coming weeks, relationships will continue to be the foundation of the work I complete with Hope Hollow, as we launch a donation campaign and continue our website work.