BLOG & resources
HOPE for Love
Happy February HOPE Center family! It is the season of love so as you go about your daily commute, go as though you are love embodied. What could that possibly mean? Love is such an abstract concept so it can mean something different for everyone. Some forms of love...
HOPE for the Holidays
December is here and celebrates the holidays such as Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah. The holidays are a wonderful time for community, reflection, and love. It is a time of festivities for all things merry and bright, so we naturally reminisce during this...
The Season of Giving
November welcomes the season of giving. This November, we celebrate those who take care of their family members. Caregiving is a role that many people take on for others. It is a great honor to be of service to someone else and support those in our lives. People of...
Public Policy’s Effect on Mental Health
By James Peele Public policy has a direct effect on many different aspects of life in so many different ways. When policy is established in any given entity, it then becomes the reality that is governed for the people residing in this area. These policies can affect...
Therapeutic Benefits of Music
By Kai Greene, Clinical Intern In 2002's hit movie, Brown Sugar starring Sanaa Lathan, one of the most memorable lines was, "When did you fall in love with hip hop?" However, in this blog, I will be asking when music has provided a moment of relief, comfort, or...
What Brought me to Social Work
By Haojie Wang, Chinese International Student As an old saying goes “experience is wealth.” The experience that brought me to my social work journey is that I experienced two devastating earthquakes when I was 11 and 16 years old in my home country of China. The...
Q and A with Monroe Howard
Monroe Howard-Shackelford is a Licensed Therapist, motivational speaker and educator best known for his work as a life coach and advocate for mental health awareness. Monroe has translated his passion for education into a career spanning more than 15 years that has...
Self- Care
May is the month of self-care at HOPE Center Harlem and to honor that this month, we have an interview with mental health and self-care advocate Minaa B who shares with us her journey to social work and how she practices self-care. She is a writer, therapist, wellness...
April is National Month of HOPE
April is the month of hope, and of course at The Hope Center Harlem, we strive to create an environment filled with hope in our present and our future. So, what does hope mean to me? Hope is believing in yourself and believing that you are worthy and deserving of all...
My Journey to Social Work
My journey to social work wasn’t inspired by a single “aha” moment, but rather a series of life events that made me realize I cared deeply about people and their well-being. I have always been interested in the human brain and psychology, but what drew me to social...
Breathing Exercises for Relaxation & Stress Management
Take a deep breath in. Now let it out. You may notice a difference in how you feel already. Your breath is a powerful tool to ease stress and make you feel less anxious. Some simple breathing exercises can make a big difference if you make them part of your regular...
Can a Psychiatric Research Project Further Mental Health Education in Harlem?Article Reposted from The Eye - The Columbia Spectator By Victoria Li Dr. Sidney Hankerson sits in a circle with reverends, pastors, social workers, public health professors,...
When Religion Leads to Trauma
By Richard Schiffman Feb. 5, 2019 Reposted from the NY Times. “We think of church as a place of healing and transformation, and it is,” says Michael Walrond Jr., pastor of the First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem. But for some, he says, “religion has been...
First Corinthian Baptist Church expands free mental health clinic with help from Mount Sinai
NEW YORK - July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, and a Harlem church is expanding its own free mental health clinic, adding psychiatrists to the staff. At First Corinthian Baptist Church, you will find faith and the freedom to express your...
How a pastor, a psychiatrist and a social worker are working to reverse centuries of mental oppression
HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) — Even though it’s played a significant role in Black life and culture in America for four centuries, mental health in the African-American community is a part of Black history that’s often overlooked. The role that it’s played in the lives...
COVID FATIGUE IT’S REAL
By Makeba Royall The uplifting energy, the hopeful thinking, the positive mindset it's fading me. Being in fight or flight mode for the past year and a half has been draining, downright daunting and arduous. Operating and functioning for self and showing up for others...
Dealing with the Holiday Blues
Not feeling particularly cheery this time of year? You’re not alone. Many find that the holidays bring as much stress as they do joy. You may also feel stressed, sad or anxious because your holiday plans may look different during COVID. However, there are ways to ease through the season.
News & media
THERE’S A FREE MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC IN HARLEM
FIRST CORINTHIAN BAPTIST CHURCH EXPANDS FREE MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC WITH HELP FROM MOUNT SINAI
THRIVE Teen Youth Resilience Program 2022
SNAPSHOT: Amplifying Teen Voices Through Photography
HOPE Center Harlem JHP x My Lens My Voice Short Version
Sneaker Ball 2023
Happy 7th Birthday HOPE Center Harlem
HEALING CONVERSATIONS
HOPE For Pride (June 2024)
Power of our Stories: Mental Health and Aging (March 2024)
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ABOUT HOPE CENTER
The HOPE Center, conceptualized by Senior Pastor Michael A. Walrond, is more than a place—it's a movement. At the intersection of compassion and community in Harlem, we offer a sanctuary for mental wellness, fostering an environment where healing is intentional and evolving is a shared journey.