Communities of People We Serve
Well intended help is often nonspecific and disorganized and unfortunately misses the intended mark, especially when dealing with complex problems. For Gratia Foundation, we intentionally target specific groups where we can generate the best outcomes to resolve their specific needs. We focus on and address specific needs of several distinct communities of people that we serve.
Veterans
The military environment is mentally, emotionally, physically, and even socially challenging. Even those who thrived in their service can start to feel the mental load when they get back home, with conditions like PTS, depression, adjustment issues, social challenges, and anxiety being especially common. They may face health problems, employment issues and family struggles around the transition back to civilian life—immediately after service but also in the years to come.
First Responders
To learn how to live a healthy life ‘off duty’ while managing the daily exposure to life-or-death decisions during emergency conditions as well as the daily exposure to grotesque sights and smells associated with major trauma and victims. People in this community are exposed to both direct and indirect trauma repeatedly over the course of their service.
Vulnerable & ‘At Risk’ Youth & Young Adults
Living ‘at risk’ for an unfulfilling, perceived by them as meaningless, or misdirected life due to their current inability to change their situation or find a life that works for them. This includes trying to mitigate the consequences of that ‘risk’ of which is felt individually, in families, and in the broader communities.
Human Trafficking Victims & Survivors
To locate, stop, extract people who have been forced into commercial sex acts or slavery through force, fraud, or coercion, and deliver them to safe havens where the victims can receive mental, physical & spiritual therapy and build a meaningful life with purpose and direction.
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Empowering Communities, Transforming Lives.
The other division serving with Blue Hope Performance Lab is Gratia Foundation. It was formed to ‘pull alongside’ community groups who are dedicated to being a ‘direct response’ to help the many people who have developed a ‘life of indifference or hopelessness’ and are at risk of living a life they see as unfulfilling, potentially meaningless, or misdirected due to their inability to change their situation.
How Does Gratia Foundation Help the Communities of People We Serve?
Many people have developed an ‘approach to life of indifference and hopelessness’, regardless of their station or place in life, and are at risk of living a life they see as unfulfilling, perceived by them as meaningless, or misdirected due to their inability to change their situation.
Research makes it clear that a strong sense of purpose (the understanding and intention of why one does something), and a real plan to realize that purpose, linked with the capability to . . .
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Make meaningful contributions in areas of life such as work, well-being and health, recreation and recovery, and relationships.
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Constantly learn and grow.
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Be rewarded and recognized as a person of value.
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Act on a meaningful goal that is of consequence to something bigger than oneself and to the wider world . . .
. . . is linked to benefits such as improved engagement, improved health and well-being, improved self-relevancy, increased self-value, and improved self-efficacy; and not only for the individual, but those communities that they participate.
Direct response’ nonprofits are struggling, not just from a lack of financial resources, but they atrophy and suffer from the barriers, constraints and distractions created from a lack of organizational capacity required to thrive. They need help to sustain their purpose and scale their impact so that they can focus on their mission and be great at what they aim to accomplish.
Capacity, or what we call organizational fitness, is about having the “organizational muscle” needed to execute over a sustained period of time for purposes of achieving strategic aspirations. This term includes things like the necessary leadership, sufficient number of skilled staff, adequate systems and processes, sound resource management, an appropriate organizational structure, an effective board of directors, and many other elements that promote performance that is scaling to their growth. Too often the nonprofit sector has more ideas than results because of their failure to execute. As important as the concepts of idea and execution might be, it takes an effective organization to execute a strategy and turn good intentions into realized results.
Effective organizations, whether nonprofit or for profit, must accomplish things; they must see meaningful results as they pursue their missions. The return on investment the client, the donor, and BHPL / GF seeks is results. In the case of BHPL’s department Gratia Foundation, the results are ultimately changed lives, new opportunities to improve lives, and more capable ‘direct response’ organizations serving the targeted communities.
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How We Drive Change
Our seminal strategy is to support to our community partners through practical guidance, performance enhancement for organizational and individual performance, advanced capabilities for human development (including leadership), and resource provision.
As a crucial part of this strategy, Gratia Foundation is partnering with 'direct response' community groups and corporate partners for each targeted client set, supporting our mission to change lives beyond their current positions. This allows for a larger footprint of service (i.e., leveraging resources and scaling with minimal costs) all the while fostering a tightly focused, multidimensional, and coordinated approach for each community.
Material Provisions
Material provisions such as project funds/costs, professional services, professional vocational and technical training, apprenticeships and internships, other specialized training, exposure and opportunities in the fields of each corporate partner.
Proven Development Solutions
A set of unique, scientifically based, and proven performance development solutions for our clients that employ proven practical applications, safe environments, and experiences to create a long term, positive impact on all participants.
Holistic, Tailored Approach
These are proven solutions serving each target group with a holistic approach to address and serve a comprehensive range of client-specific needs (by target group).
Partnering for Lasting Impact
As part of our commitment to direct response support, Blue Hope Performance Lab and Gratia Foundation, through our network of partners, work to help vulnerable individuals create meaningful and fulfilling lives. We aim to address the root causes of challenges, not just the symptoms, to create lasting change.
Stewardship
Our partners understand the importance of their role, providing more than just financial support—they help save lives and communities.
Beyond Numbers
We go beyond data and grants, diving deep into each community’s needs to create tailored, transformative solutions.
A Few of Our Community Partners
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Blue Hope Performance Lab and the Gratia Foundation proudly partner with Peace Preparatory Academy, an institution committed to transforming Atlanta's historic westside and nurturing future leaders. Their mission encompasses not only offering a high-quality, Christ-centered learning environment but also supporting the holistic development of students and their families while benefiting the entire community. Peace Preparatory Academy stands out due to its devotion to four core pillars: developmentally appropriate education, cultural relevance, spiritual formation, and a trauma-informed approach. Together, we work towards shaping a better future, offering leadership development training to the youth and creating a positive impact on the lives of students, families, and the community.
Graciously supported by the Gratia Foundation, Glacier's Italian Ice Youth Entrepreneurship Program provides youth and young adults a safe, educational, and employment-focused alternative to selling water on the streets. Founded in response to safety concerns and community needs, the program equips young men to become financially independent while promoting safety. Glacier's Italian Ice offers a delightful, vegan-friendly treat made from real fruit, with over 14 flavors and various sizes. The owner-operator model empowers youth with the tools to run their Italian ice cart businesses, fostering entrepreneurial skills, budgeting expertise, and effective communication. Founded by Ian Elmore-Moore, the program has made a significant impact through various initiatives, emphasizing leadership, character development, entrepreneurship, and innovation for the next generation of leaders.
The Street Smart Mental Health Podcast, co-hosted by Brandon McNamee (The Natty King) & Michael Wellington, addresses the challenging landscape of mental health in our country today. With mental health services often overwhelmed and stigmatized, the podcast empowers listeners to take control of their mental well-being. Street Smart offers candid, real conversations, providing fresh ideas, innovative techniques, and "outside the box" practices to help individuals better manage their mental health. Both hosts bring extensive experience, having navigated addiction, anxiety, depression, alcoholism, and more, offering valuable insights beyond relying solely on medications. See how Blue Hope and the Gratia Foundation give hope and enlightenment to veterans. Listen here.
Blue Hope Performance Lab and the Gratia Foundation proudly partner with OaksATL, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing Atlanta's historic westside by providing quality, affordable housing. OaksATL’s mission extends beyond real estate, focusing on community-driven initiatives that restore dignity and create opportunities for English Avenue residents. Through rebuilding distressed properties, creating job opportunities, and empowering local leadership, OaksATL aims to renew the area while preserving its rich Civil Rights legacy. Together, we support holistic community development and aim to foster lasting, positive change.
Stories of Impact
Blue Hope was dependable, intelligent, and effective at rooting out individual and team issues that had the potential to hurt our financial and operational performance. I consider Blue Hope a valuable asset and would recommend them to any organization looking to develop their leadership.
Sandra Driscoll
Chief People Officer, Byrna Technologies, Inc.
BHPL transformed my leadership journey. They helped me align my purpose with my organization, and it wasn’t just another certificate—it was meaningful, ongoing development. My team noticed the change in my leadership style, and they are now the company's top performers.
JJ Brinkerhoff
Senior Project Manager- Ashton Woods Homes Atlanta
The team at the Lab has figured out how to ‘call up’ their clients and ‘call them forward’ like I have never seen. They helped us embed sound business and people practices into our leadership, elevating performance across our teams, families, and ourselves.
Marilyn Waters, MBA, PHR
Chief Human Performance & Talent Officer, Water Consulting, LLC
BHPL has helped Power Up Solutions Increase Sales Performance and Improve Operational Processes. Our Leadership Group is Aligned and We Are Growing Faster Than Ever! We Would Not be in this Position Without BHPL!
Chase Overton
Chief Executive Officer, Power Up Solutions
I highly recommend and appreciate the work of Gratia Foundation. Lockett Stewart and the team have been true partner to us - not just in terms of curriculum design, sustainability plans and character/leadership development but overall friendship. Through our most trying times Gratia has showed up for us. Very few people/organizations genuinely care, Gratia cares. They are unafraid to meet you in the trenches and do the work of serving others
Ian Elmore-Moore
Executive Director & Owner, Noble Truth Project Inc. and Glaciers Italian Ice
Working with the Gratia Foundation has taken leadership from a two-dimensional to four-dimensional experience. Elevating the conversations and perspectives to include the human-centered perspectives needed for effective and long-term success in leadership has been invaluable to me personally and will yield fruit in our organization in time. I can not recommend enough the time spent going below the waterline to get to the why for greater purpose and ultimately greater impact.
Benjamin Wills
Founder & President, Peace Preparatory Academy
Working with Blue Hope Performance Lab has been one of the most significant and impactful experiences in not only my professional life but personal as well. They were able to quickly identify when leadership needed to come together with a shared vision and execute the necessary plans to achieve our goals. Their incredible knowledge in creating and sustaining a successful business exceeds all levels of expectations. I am forever changed for the better for having the pleasure to have worked with and learned through Blue Hope Performance Lab.
Cameron McKinty
Director of Learning and Development, Infinity Energy Inc.
Unfortunately, many people who try to help these organizations (and their targeted communities they serve) don’t understand the necessary guiding principles for client solutions and practices to help the interconnected individuals, families, and communities experience tangible and sustainable transformation:
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Developmentally appropriate
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Culturally relevant
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Individual, family, and community formative
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Trauma informed
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Dynamic for situation and over time
At the end of the day, our goals for each person, within a family and maybe a neighborhood or organization, is to provide an opportunity where they can have a real chance to lead a full life through their contributions to their family and community, through their opportunities to learn and grow as a person and a professional, through the value they receive from recognition for what and how they choose to contribute, and through being part of something that transcends what they might be able to do on their own.