PARIS, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV) – We are continuing to share the stories of our final two nominees for Nexstar’s 2022 Remarkable Women contest.
Last week, we introduced you to Lori Carpenter. This week, we are sharing nominee Beth Hansel’s story with you.
Hansel previously worked as a truancy officer for Clark and Edgar counties. During that time, her nominator said she recalls Hansel saying, “If we could just scoop these kids up out of their environment and help them see that there is a better life,” and that’s exactly what they did.
From that statement, the non-profit organization Hopes and Dreams, Inc. was created to make sure the basic needs of teens in Edgar County are met.
“I feel like I’m just working with kids, just trying to help them take one step at a time to make their lives better and their futures better,” Hansel said.
Hansel said she has always had the urge to want to help kids in any way she can. During her time as a truancy officer, she said she was overwhelmed with the number of teens she came across whose basic needs were not being met.
“Some of our kids weren’t coming to school because they didn’t have clean clothes,” Hasel said.
In 2018, Hansel and a friend started Hopes and Dreams. The main goal of the organization is simple, to make sure teens in Edgar County were able to have the essentials needed to live on the day-to-day.
“Beth Hansel is more than remarkable, she is a real life super hero in our community. In 2017 while working as a Truancy Officer for Clark and Edgar Counties, Beth and I (a high school counselor) were having our usual conversation that included “If we could just scoop these kids up out of their environment and help them see that there is a better life…” And so it began. We have created Hopes & Dreams, Inc, a 501c3, dedicated to providing the most basic needs to teens in Edgar County, food, clothing and shelter,”
Staci Skelton, nominator
“We always joked about needing a ranch to put the kids. They didn’t have a place that was safe and consistent for them to stay so we just kind of started tossing around the idea,” Hansel said.
Hansel explained that kids are able to come by the drop-in center and wash clothes, or even stop by their store and pick up food or clothes.
Hopes and Dreams even goes as far as to help place teens into an apartment, and teach them how to start paying bills and living as an adult.
“Then it became an issue where they needed a place to stay because their place, they were bouncing from couch to couch, staying from friend to friend. So that became a major issue with getting to school because ‘hey I had to move because I didn’t have a place to stay last night’ so then education can’t stay a priority,” Hansel said.
Although the main goal is to make sure that teens have their basic needs met, Hansel said she also hopes that she is teaching these kids that giving means a whole lot more than receiving.
“Beth works tirelessly to make sure our participants have everything they need, she has big dreams for what we can achieve as a foundation, and she inspires everyone around her to be a better person. In the 3 years of our organization, we have purchased a home where our homeless teens can live comfortably and securely, created a “Drop-In Center” where teens can come to shower, do their laundry, grab a meal or just relax. She shuttles kids to doctor appointments, grocery shopping, job interviews and work. She helps them create a budget, finance cars, secure insurance and learn financial responsibility. She insists that community service be part of their learning, she wants our kiddos to know that giving back is more important than receiving,”
Staci Skelton, nominator
“There’s nothing that somebody can’t do with their time. We may not all be able to financially donate to something or support them financially, but a little bit of giving and a little bit of your time has created this huge non profit organization that really is pretty special,” Hansel said.
Hansel said seeing where the kids come from, and then getting to see where they end up, is what makes this all worthwhile.
“There’s so many success stories. To see the kids have an opportunity to make a life for themselves where they’re working as hard as we are, as the adults around them, it’s incredible,” Hansel said.
The last nomination will be shared next week. The winner of Nexstar’s 2022 Remarkable Women Contest will be announced after all nominees are posted.
