Resident Spotlight – July 2023
Our Resident Spotlight shines on Hope Banks for July 2023. Ms. Hope is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up with 2 older brothers. She says she always wanted to do everything they did, so she was kind of a tomboy. She went to Temple University and met her husband, Nathaniel, at a house party. Ms. Hope left to get married and start a family. They were married for 14 years and then Ms. Hope went back to school after her divorce and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work.
After working in the field for several years she started substitute teaching in the Camden County school system in Camden, New Jersey. She loved being in the schools and went back to get her teacher’s certification and taught Special Education High School English for 20 years, becoming the department chair. Ms. Hope was a beloved teacher to her students, chaperoning school trips and proms. When her student’s homes were not desirable places to be, Ms. Hope would let these students stay with her on the weekends so they could concentrate on school work and have a hot meal. If a student couldn’t afford clothes, shoes, or school supplies, Ms. Hope took them shopping and paid for those items.
Ms. Hope has 3 daughters and twin granddaughters. Family and friends have always been important to Ms. Hope and she cultivated a tribe of women that supported her as a single mother. All those lessons were passed on to her daughters, and Ms. Hope watched all three of her daughters graduate from Rutgers University in New Jersey. Her daughters remember traveling on family trips to see relatives in the Carolinas or to New York to go sightseeing. A woman of faith, Ms. Hope was a member of Bethany Baptist Church in Lindenwold, NJ for 30 years before she relocated to Atlanta to be near her youngest daughter.
Among her hobbies, Ms. Hope enjoys knitting, crocheting, sewing, and listening to rhythm and blues or jazz music. She helped found her chapter of the Red Hat Society and became the Queen Mother of the chapter. They called themselves “The Sophisticated Ladies” and enjoyed monthly outings, book clubs, and social events. After retiring, Ms. Hope did tutoring part-time.
At Woodland Ridge, Ms. Hope enjoys Bible study, cooking club, and parties and is almost always able to “name that tune” at music events. We enjoy her ready smile and she always has a pleasant word for everyone.
We’re happy Ms. Hope chose to call Woodland Ridge her home.
If you or an aging loved one is considering a move to an Assisted Living Facility for Elder Care Services in Smyrna GA please contact the caring staff at Woodland Ridge today. 770-431-7055
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