The Hope Center is working to broaden its donor base while helping people overcome homelessness and rebuild their lives in Lexington.Chris Peck, who oversees the non-profit, says affordable housing remains a pressing concern in the community."Affordable housing is a true issue in Lexington," Peck said.The Hope Center operates both transitional and permanent housing programs."We have close to 200 beds on this campus for people who are kind of transitioning," Peck said.In 2025, nearly 900 people were housed in a Hope Center facility across Lexington. That same year, more than 5,600 people requested services from the Hope Center's street outreach team.On the men's side, Peck says demand has shifted compared to last summer."There is not a waiting list, we've had empty beds this year for whatever reason," Peck said.Rising costs are adding pressure on those the organization serves."Food is more expensive, utilities, gas, everything's more expensive," Peck said.A top priority for Peck is supporting people as they transition out of Hope Center programs."The challenge is what they do when they leave this campus when we try to find something more permanent and helping them engage in some form of workforce development before they leave here," Peck said.Peck also views the Hope Center's work as a preventative measure."I want to actually keep things in line before they become a larger issue for families," Peck said.The Hope Center is launching a new initiative aimed at getting more people to support the organization at an affordable level $19.93 a month to get more people invested in its programs.Peck says there is also a push to expand Hope Center recovery programs."The men's stays full but our women's for whatever reason does not, there are less referrals. We're trying to figure out why that's the case and how we can increase that service out to the broader community," Peck said.Fundraising, Peck acknowledges, is not easy but it is essential."Fundraising's not fun, I tell everybody I don't know where the fun is in it but it's necessary," Peck said.Drew Amman is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Drew at [email protected] ...read more read less