HOPES Dedication Ceremonies for the new Frank Raia Annex

Mr. Frank Raia Addressing the Audience

On Wednesday, September 6, 2017 Mr. Frank Raia was recognized for his decades of leadership, philanthropy, and volunteerism to the people of Hoboken in general and the friends and families of HOPES in particular with the naming of the beautiful new HOPES Annex in his honor (for a thoughtful and in depth profile of Mr. Raia, please click here). 

HOPES was established in 1964 under Lyndon B. Johnson' administration because of the Economic Opportunity Act. As a CAP (Community Action Program), HOPES helps people to help themsleves in achieving self sufficiency. From the beginning, HOPES (Hoboken Organization against Poverty and Economic Stress) was charged with the responsibility of combating poverty in Hudson County, NJ by providing a variety of social service for the community.  

The Frank Raia Annex

Mr. Frank Raia is the current Board Chairman and has served on the HOPES Board of Directors since 1984. Raia has had the responsibility to oversee the governance of the agency and to ensure that HOPES' mission and agency goals are being met via strategic planning while maintaining financial stability. 

Over the years, Frank Raia and HOPES have been committed to addressing the barriers and causes of poverty through empowering individuals and families toward self-sufficiency. This is a core value and has been the guiding philosophy as HOPES provides a diverse set of programs for expectant mothers (engaging families in the area and development of their child/children; Promoting health in Expectant Women and children), infants and toddlers (fostering the development of young children, birth to 5 years old), preschool education (preparing children for school readiness), adult groups (assisting adults through social services and education opportunities), and senior services (helping seniors maintain independent lifestyles).  With the new Frank Raia Annex these programs will not only continue but they will expand in a modern, state of the art facility expanding on the 100+ year old David E. Rue Building.

Congratulations Frank Raia and thank you to the leadership of HOPES for recognizing Mr. Raia's commitment to the people of Hoboken and to the families of HOPES.