Hello Friends! Welcome (or welcome back) to the Speak Up for Hope Blog! Jennie Afman Dimkoff here. I am J.P. Kent’s aunt, and I have the privilege of serving on the board of Speak Up for Hope. This past year was a joyful one for our family as we celebrated…

This year We decided to do something different at our Church’s annual Hope for the Heart Women’s conference. It was suggested by Cassie Fuerst that we incorporate a service project into the event. We did some research into what our speaker, Carol Kent had a service passion for, and soon…

Special Notice: A position is open in the Gene Kent In Line Waiting Ministry. Gene developed this ministry in response to the needs of people waiting in line for visitation at Hardee Correctional Institution.  While waiting, Gene talks to people, and when needs are revealed, he responds with help.  It…

A while back, Jason Kent wrote of how anyone could become a part of Speak Up for Hope by reaching out to the prisons in their own area.  We love it when we see that happen. Recently, a widow’s ministry group decided to do that very thing.  They collected items…

Saturday night…Hi J.P. (and Speak Up for Hope Blog Readers,) Just now falling asleep, so I thought I’d write.  It’s nearly midnight here in our Gaylord home that we’d like to sell – we haven’t lived here for four years.  It is a unique situation to visit a place with…

Many people ask about being a Speak Up for Hope representative in their area of the country. That is flattering, but it isn’t necessary. You see, we don’t have a special monopoly or license that certifies someone to bless others. We simply do whatever we can do right where we…

Speak Up For Hope receives many letters each month from people dealing with the pain felt when a loved one is imprisoned. Most of the letters are from family or close friends of the inmates and some are from the inmate themselves. They are letters of extreme emotion and heartache….

Keep it simple. Decide what is important and what isn’t. Leave out the “what isn’t” without inflicting guilt on yourself. Don’t isolate yourself. You may not feel like celebrating, but isolating only drives you deeper into depression and sadness. Attend church, family gatherings, work parties, friend connections. You may not…

Everyone, Hi, this is Gene Kent.  I thought I’d tell you what a visit day with Jason is like.  Often Carol and I try to get the last flight home from a speaking engagement on a Saturday night or the earliest one on Sunday morning so we can make it…