Rise In Love was founded in 2015 as an all-volunteer charity focused on suburban poverty. The suburbs have seen a substantial growth in poverty over the last several years. Between 2019 and 2022, the poor population in major metropolitan suburbs grew three times as fast as in major cities [Six Percent (6%) versus two percent (2%)]. Across Rise in Love’s service area the poverty rate in the suburban population is nearly eight percent (8%). Many community programs designed to help the impoverished are concentrated in urban areas, leaving the suburbs with little to no assistance. Our goal is to make stable, or keep stable, people who are living in our suburbs who are suffering while we work to move them through a transition towards economic prosperity. We accomplish this life changing work through our vital programs:Families in Transition (F.I.T.) provides one-on-one support to families struggling with unique financial hardships. We create a Transition Plan specific to each family’s needs and guide them through the entire transitional process, moving them towards financial stability through housing, employment, childcare and food assistance. The families are required to show progress on their own behalf according to their F.I.T. plan before Rise in Love distributes funding. Love Saves Emergency Relief prevents evictions, restores utility services, stops repossessions and additional services dependent on each client’s need. We work tirelessly to find affordable housing for our families, moving them from sheltered to housed in a matter of weeks, ensuring their children can stay in school and their employment is not disrupted. Rise in Love expanded this program to serve the influx of Ukrainian refugees who began arriving in March of 2022. This program provides safe housing, employment assistance, ESL class assistance and meets their immediate housing needs as they work to rebuild their lives in our communities. Love in a Box is our monthly food and supply distribution. This safety net provides 12-15 bags of groceries and necessities to over 400 families within Rise in Love’s service area. Hot Meal serves 800 meals each month, providing dine in and carry out service to those in need.Christmas Gifts for Kids is our holiday gift program for children from low income families. Children are registered each year and “adopted” by a member of the community to purchase gifts for each child. The D.R.E.A.M. Scholarship, in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College, is our new educational program to provide support to qualified refugees and displaced people.