Our way to HOPE began in December 2015 with a simple act of giving. The Our way to HOPE giveaway in Paterson NJ where 100 children and families affected by Domestic violence received gifts and support. What started as one event has grown into a decade of year-round programs dedicated to healing, empowerment, and community care.

Karen Peña, the founder of Our Way to HOPE, built this mission from a moment of compassion. Years ago, while driving through downtown Paterson, her daughter asked why people were living in tents with nowhere to go—and asked to help them. That Thanksgiving, we spent the day giving back to the homeless in Paterson with food we cooked ourselves and blankets and comforters we bought, and through acts like these, she showed us by example how to lead with generosity.Karen knew more had to be done. As a single mother who guided her family through their own difficult road marked by domestic violence, she still managed to keep her family's lives full—taking them to music and art therapy, sports, dance, school activities, finishing her college degrees, and even running for the board of education. She carried her own pain quietly, determined to make sure that women and children walking a similar path would receive not just help, but hope. From the very beginning, she gave everything, even when we had nothing to give, and still made it happen.