Hope On A Mission – Restoring Dignity and Bringing Hope to City of Poughkeepsie.
Homelessness and substance abuse are issues that affect far too many communities throughout the United States.
The City of Poughkeepsie is no exception.
According to the NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, in 2024 Dutchess County experienced an 11% increase in homelessness, with the City of Poughkeepsie being a central area of concern. This rise is part of a statewide "alarming increase" in homelessness, particularly affecting families with children. Substance abuse is another issue that's plaguing the streets. Fentanyl and other street drugs are quickly and dangerously making their way through the country.
There are organizations looking to battle both epidemics, by providing comfort and supplies to those who really need it. Right here in our backyard, there's Hope On A Mission, or HOAM for short. Hope On A Mission is a street outreach ministry dedicated to assisting homeless and addicted individuals in the Poughkeepsie, NY area. Founded by CaraMia Bacchiochi, who overcame her own struggles with homelessness and addiction. CaraMia's goal for HOAM is to aim to "become the woman I needed when I was homeless and addicted."
Their website states, "At HOAM, our mission is to restore dignity through love and grace. We believe that by building genuine, compassionate relationships, we can make a lasting difference in the lives of those facing homelessness and addiction. As we meet people where they are, we offer not only food and clothing but also emotional support, encouragement, and prayer. Our team is committed to showing up consistently, rain or shine, and offering unconditional love to those in need."
The organization provides essential services through its Pop-up Provisions events, held four times a week throughout the City of Poughkeepsie. These events offer hot meals, clothing, hygiene items, and compassionate support to those in need.
Credit to: Hope On A Mission Inc. Instagram @hoampk
This week on In Touch, we spoke with the Founder and Executive Director of Hope On A Mission CaraMia Bacchiochi about her own journey, and why she created this amazing organization.
"I was borrowing a car from a friend, I put some water in the trunk, some flip flops, and I would sit on the bumper of the car every Saturday for 2 hours down on the corner of South Clinton and Main Street in the City of Poughkeepsie. I did that for a while, and then I started doing Facebook Live videos. We did a "Call to the Corner" telling people to stop by and leave something or get something. Very organically it grew, and it's still growing, and it blows my mind," CaraMia Bacchiochi told In Touch.
HOAM is still growing and shows no signs of slowing down.
In 2017, HOAM saw the need for breakfast to be served, and volunteers started coming down to help out. In 2021 they started serving dinner on Tuesday nights, and in 2023 they started serving dinner on Thursday nights. They provide 4 meals a week, Tuesday and Thursday nights, at 600 Main Street in the City of Poughkeepsie from 6-7 pm. Saturday mornings they serve breakfast from 8:30 to 9:30 am, and dinner from 6-8 pm.
"When I was addicted, consistency did not exist for me. There was no stability. One of the goals of HOAM is reliability and consistency. We are here no matter what. This past Saturday night when the weather was bad, we were out there. We served 70 meals in the first 25 minutes. We were knocking the snow off our tent. They know we are going to be there and rely on us. They help us set up and unload the car, set the tents up. We create relationships with these people, a safe relationship when they have no one else to rely on," explained Bacchiochi.
With 200+ volunteers, over 10,000 people helped, and 30,000 meals served, Hope On A Mission is a true difference maker in the City of Poughkeepsie community. You can get involved yourself, by visiting their website at hopeonamission.org. There's always a need for volunteers, food, clothing, and supplies.
You can help bring hope to those in need.
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