Hope House Montgomery, a registered 501(c)3, was founded in 2020 by Candace Cain with the help of her friends, family, and church community.

Hope House Montgomery’s home base is in the Highland Park area where we live and serve in the neighborhood.  Candace lives at Hope House along with two college-aged interns.

We desire to be highly relational with our neighbors. We will walk alongside children and youth in intentional ways. Our strategy is to walk, talk, play, and pray together.

Previously, Candace volunteered at Hope House Detroit in Michigan as the after-school reading program director. Here, she witnessed firsthand this ministry’s impact on the neighborhood by seeking to love their neighbors like Jesus.

After moving to Montgomery in 2016, Candace found a faith community that reminded her weekly that we are a “sent” people. A people called to be good neighbors. She began praying, dreaming, and imagining a Hope House in Alabama. She contacted Becky and Gary Gentry, founders of Hope House Detroit, for counsel and approval to share the Hope House dream in Montgomery.

With this lingering dream, the opportunity to work at HHD, and this thought of being “Sent,” I have started this small home-based ministry in Highland Park called Hope House Montgomery. 

Hope House Detroit

Hope House Detroit was founded in 2010 by Gary and Becky Gentry, soon after they joined Hope Community Church in Detroit. Their love for the community, coupled with a life-long passion for the encouragement of children and youth toward their potential, led to cherished relationships with young people that became Hope House Detroit: a community center for kids. hopehousedetroit.org

“With her sincere heart for the greatest good of children, her collegiate connections and zeal for life, and her steady devotion to Jesus, Candace Cain is a grand slam! Plus she is just plain fun! We are delighted by her passion to bring real.crazy.love to the children and youth of her neighborhood and are pleased to share in relationship with Hope House Montgomery.”

Gary and Becky Gentry, Executive Director and Founders, Hope House Detroit

Hunter Hills

Our vision at Hunter Hills is to be a family of God’s children connecting, living and loving like Jesus.

Toward the end of connecting, living, and loving like Jesus, we seek to love God, love our neighbors, and share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world around us. This is the mission of every Christ-follower. One of the ways we do this is by creating environments for people to be led by the Spirit into connection with God and others. This is done through our weekly gatherings, our Bible classes, our small groups, and in the lives of every individual member on a daily basis.  hunterhills.org

Candace Cain

Candace has served as a leader in the nonprofit sector for the last 30 years. She has worked in post-secondary education at two private Christian universities.

Candace also served as executive director for New Friends New Life in Dallas, Texas, which helps trafficked women and children, and as executive director of Arms of Hope, which helps children and single moms in Medina, Texas.  

Candace works closely with students, developing servant leaders who understand their influence and the importance of practicing a life that creates community. Candace currently serves as vice president for student services at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama.

Vernon Taylor

Vernon Taylor has worked in aviation for 30+ years. He served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, and he later founded and directed two aviation service companies based in the River Region (Montgomery, Alabama) which grew to be market leaders. Vernon was one of the founding directors of a Southeastern community bank and currently serves as a director of the River Financial Corporation.

He serves on various boards in the Montgomery area, and he is an investor in commercial and agricultural real estate. An active member in his community, Vernon serves as as Shepherd of the congregation where he and his wife Lisa attend. He is a graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor of science degree in business. Vernon and Lisa live in Montgomery and have three grown children. 

Jordan McDonald

Jordan serves as the Director of Spiritual Life at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Jordan graduated from Harding University in 2017 with a degree in Theology and Missiology. Prior to joining the Office of Vocation and Spiritual Formation at Lipscomb in 2021, Jordan served as a children and family minister. It was through her experience in that role that she found a passion for offering tools, guidance and community to help others to live a life deeply formed in Christ. Jordan works with the OVSF team to cultivate opportunities with and for students to encounter God, be formed by the Spirit and embody Christ-like character. Besides sharing life with students, she especially works with Breakout Chapels and the spiritual pursuits of student organizations.

Though most of her life Jordan called Birmingham, Alabama “home,” she loves living and creating a new home in Nashville with her pup, Rory. Some of her favorite things are traveling to see friends and family, watching Braves baseball, reading, taking photos, creating warm and safe places for old and new friends, learning and, of course, drinking coffee. Harding University.

Kelvin Brown

Kelvin Brown is chief executive officer of the Housing Crisis Center in Dallas, Texas. He brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in a career dedicated to service organizations. In his 20-plus years of management, operations and relationship building, he has worked in financial services, secondary education, post-secondary education, and most recently, social services (serving children and single-mother families). His work is now focused on making communities better homes for everyone by empowering the disenfranchised.
 
Kelvin holds a bachelor’s of business administration degree in marketing from Rochester University. His background and love for all people fuel his passion for serving and encouraging others to be their best. Of all of his achievements, he is most proud of his faith and commitment to his wife, Amy, of 25 years, and their children; Avin, Justus and Elizabeth.

Ryan Lassiter

Ryan resides in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife, Sarah, and their four young children George, Henry, Katherine and Matthew. In addition to working as an engineer, Ryan also preaches part-time with his local church in Greenville.

Ryan was born in Montgomery in 1984 in the Highland Park community. His grandfather, Dan Crapps, was a longtime resident of Highland Park, having been born in one of the older houses on Plum Street. Ryan’s mom and her siblings grew up in various houses in Highland Park, and Ryan was born in the community on Locust Street, later moving to Highland Avenue. Ryan has fond memories of Highland Park, helping his grandpa repair rental houses, hanging out at his grandpa’s barber shop on Buford Street, and playing with his cousins in the community.

Ryan moved away from Alabama in 2001, but returned and spent another five and half years there with his wife and children from 2015-2020. Ryan has worked as a civil engineer, a missionary to China, and as a pastor in a local church in Midland, Texas, and Prattville, Alabama, before returning to full-time civil engineering in November 2020. He has a master’s of religious education in missional leadership, and he has one year left to complete his doctor of ministry. Ryan loves Montgomery and Highland Park has a special place in his heart. 

Jamie Cromblin

Jamie has been the dean of culture at the prestigious Valiant Cross Academy (A private school with a Christian emphasis and an intentional culture of structure and discipline; the academy currently serves 6th-12th grades) since 2019. He also served in the Air Force for four years after graduating from Prattville High School.

Jamie is married to Sharranda and has seven children. His passions are preaching and speaking life into the youth. He works with his father at their church home, Open Door Worship Center, in Montgomery, where Jamie aids in preaching and mentoring.

The Hope House Montgomery mission inspires Jamie, and he sees the importance of community members working together to create hope and inspire our youth.

Dessy Gibson

Hello, my name is Destini Gibson, but I go by Dessy! I’m from Phenix City, Al. I am a Senior at Faulkner University, and my major is Counseling psychology. My goal is to one day become a Children’s Therapist and to open my own clinic! Maybe even create my own nonprofit organization! I’m heavily involved at Faulkner. I’m the SGA’s Student Body President. I’m in a social club named Xi Chi Gamma!  I work on campus as an admin for Psychology Department.  I am also in two honors societies: The National Society of Student Leadership and Success and Psi Chi Honor Society.

This is my second year as an intern for Hope House Montgomery.  I believe that being a good neighbor is essential to showing God’s love to others. I have gained more confidence, patience, and leadership responsibilities through this internship.

My favorite Bible verse is Matthew 5:16. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” I believe if you have God-given gifts, then use them. The point of being a Christian to me is showing that you’re a Christian through your work,  not telling people that you are! :)

Maki’ya Selma

I’m Maki’ya Selma, a graduating senior at Alabama State University, majoring in Business Management, from Chicago, IL.

A few of my hobbies include exercising my creative abilities with singing, journaling, developing digital content, and occasionally creating music; I also enjoy working out and trying new things.

I’m passionate about walking in my purpose and answering the call God has placed on my life. I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given to serve the Highland Park community.