It’s 6:15 a.m. and the house alarm goes off. Nine girls, all from different families, wake up in the same home. Hannah Yates and Nautica Slater, seniors, have been living together for five years. Yates and Slater are part of the residential program at Girls Hope. The Boys Hope Girls Hope St. Louis program helps academically capable children-in-need meet their full potential. The program’s mission is to provide value-centered, family-like homes, volunteer opportunities and education support throughout college.

“I’m better off going to college now, than I would [have been] without the help and support of the home,” Yates, fifth year resident, said, “I didn’t take academics too seriously [before I came to the home]. I didn’t even know if I wanted to go to college. I thought I would maybe finish high school then get a job somewhere. But [now] I want to go to college and major in national affairs.”’Megan Van Buren

Slater and Yates both got into the program through siblings in the residential program. Yates’ older brother was part of the non-residential program. Salter’s brothers were also in the Boys Hope part of the program, and her older sister was in Girls Hope.

“I’ve become more independent [since living at Girls Hope],” Slater said, “At home I am the youngest of five children, but in this house I am the oldest. All of the girls [at Girls Hope] look up to me.”

Boys Hope Girls Hope has 15 locations nationwide. The St. Louis location moved to new homes last year, and sold the location they had since 1977. The girls staying at the house wake up every morning and head off to six different schools, KHS, Nipher Middle School, Nerinx High School, St. Joseph’s Academy, Richmond Heights and Central VPA High School.

When the girls all arrive home from school, they are allowed two hours to relax and get homework done. At 5:30 p.m. they all eat dinner together, including the staff members. After dinner, they have tutoring sessions, and academic time.

“Boys Hope Girls Hope is a doorway of opportunity offering bright and motivated children facing hard circumstances with the opportunity to succeed.” Brian Hipp, program director, said, “we not only provide a nurturing, stable home, but also equality education which continues through college, which allows them to break the negative cycle that might otherwise become their legacy.”