Our Founder, Pastor Sheldon Russell, was raised in South Dallas and knew first hand the struggles of growing up in poverty. Often times without food or electricity, he was forced at a young age to help provide for his family and take care of his siblings.

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After getting caught up in a life on the streets, he was eventually arrested and sentenced to prison. There, he miraculously gave his life to Christ and began pursing the call to become a minister.

In 2014 he started his first church. He quickly realized, however, that the issues of the community were bigger than inside the church walls. As a result, Sheldon and his wife Althea committed themselves to establishing the City of Hope Project to help combat the effects of poverty and disempowerment on the community. 

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