About Us!

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 In 2025, Hope On Deck provided more than  40,000 instances of assistance, resources, and community support to individuals struggling with substance use disorder, those in recovery, families affected by addiction, and others experiencing hardship.

Our impact included distributing more than 24,000 bags of clothing, 8,000 food distributions, 4,000 pairs of shoes, 1,800 blankets, and 1,250 coats and winter essentials. More than 1,200 people received Narcan education and lifesaving naloxone kits, while hundreds more received recovery support, resource navigation, household necessities, and connections to treatment and community services.

But our work is about more than numbers.

Behind every meal, coat, pair of shoes, Narcan kit, referral, and conversation is a person who deserves to be seen, supported, and treated with dignity.

Guided by unconditional love, empathy, and compassion, Hope On Deck meets people where they are—without judgment—and reminds them that they do not have to face their struggles alone.

Whether you donate, volunteer, host a collection drive, become a community partner, or simply share our mission, you help us put hope into action.

Together, we can reduce stigma, restore dignity, and remind people that hope is still here.

From E:

       It’s hard to write a testimonial about times and situations that were some of the darkest points of my life. The fact that I can after what I’ve been through is testimony enough, I should not be here. Maybe I have unfinished business of some kind. Someone to rescue from drowning or someone to pull someone’s dog out of a fire. Who knows? Maybe my purpose is simply to put a smile on someone’s face and make them laugh. That simple gesture may be all someone needs to keep fighting one more day. 

These tasks big and small is all thins Ma Van does on a daily basis. From saving lives (she will literally Narcan your ass) to getting interview clothes for a man or women trying to better themselves.  She does it all with the help of a large community of supporters and donations mixed in with Ma Van’s crazy brand of unconditional love and compassion for everyone. 

Ma Van comes from the same trenches that so many of us come from and has lost loved ones to addiction and mental health issues. Her supporters and friend include politicians and friends, blue collar workers and those homeless individuals she works with. She treats everyone the same, with love and compassion.

As one of the countess people able to attest to the passion Ma Van and her volunteers have combined with the resources and community support available through Hope on Deck and the organizations she works closely with, I swear they are doing amazing things in the addiction community. 

In my many years of addiction and mental health struggles I often found myself down and out. I reached out and Ma Van and her team were always there to greet me with a hug and love. On more than one occasion literally pulling me out of the mud or “bando” somewhere when no one seemed to care, and the next person would have spit on me as step over my body regardless of signs of life. 

Ma Van and her crew got me the help I needed whether it was food or clothes, a ride to the Dr. or treatment. Her Hope on Deck team has provided wound care to people in the gutter of some of the roughest neighborhoods in America. 

After I relapsed over and over, she never gave up on me and was always there for me. On 6/15/22 I became free from opioids and cocaine thanks to Ma Van and Hope on Deck. Her constant contact with me throughout the process has been a blessing and I want to thank her for all the encouragement and support.

Ma Van’s giant heart combined with an unmatched drive to better the world and help others smile, one hug, one blessing bag at a time. These gestures of empathy might just help someone through that cold lonely night and make it through the light of another day. Ma Van has done that for me, and I know I’m not the only one she saved from the storm. She loved me until I could start to love myself and for that I am grateful. 

Thanks Ma

Love,  E  

Have a question or want to learn more about how you can get involved? Contact us today and we'll be happy to help. mavanhopeondeck@gmail.com