As part of Positively Osceola’s 2026 — A New Year, A New Hope series, Hope Partnership CEO Reverend Mary Lee Downey reflects on how collective action, care, and housing-first solutions are transforming hope into lasting impact—while looking ahead to a year defined by dignity, stability, and the opening of Thrive Studios.

At the start of 2025, I often found myself asking a simple question: What does hope look like when it becomes real? By the end of the year, I had my answer.

Hope, I learned, looks like meals being shared, showers running, names being restored – and a community choosing to show up, again and again.

This year at Hope Partnership was defined by that kind of collective effort. Through Hope Cares Day alone, we served more than 4,500 meals and provided over 1,500 showers to more than 1,100 neighbors. With the support of partners like AdventHealth, we launched a fully mobile shower trailer, doubling our capacity and allowing us to meet people where they are. We also expanded access to primary health care, including prescriptions and chronic disease management, for those who too often go without routine care.

Behind the scenes, our team focused on the quieter work of prevention and restoration. Through Hope IDs and community support services, we helped hundreds of individuals reclaim identification and diverted 148 people away from homelessness before crisis took hold. These moments rarely make headlines, but they change lives.

2025 was not without challenges. Shifting funding, construction delays, and economic pressure tested our resolve. But those challenges also clarified our purpose and strengthened our partnerships – especially as we moved closer to a milestone years in the making.

In early 2026, Thrive Studios will open its doors. This permanent supportive housing community represents more than new apartments – it represents stability, dignity, and the belief that housing is the foundation on which everything else is built. Each home at Thrive marks a turning point: a place where healing can begin and futures can take shape.

As we step into 2026, my hope is grounded and growing. I hope we continue to invest in housing, deepen collaboration, and choose solutions rooted in dignity and accountability. I am hopeful because I have seen what happens when a community decides that hope isn’t abstract – it’s something we create together.

-Rev. Mary Downey
Founder and CEO, Hope Partnership