Sisterhood of Hope

10/17/2026

FOUR YEARS OF S I S T E R H O O D. 💕

Today, we gathered at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for our FOURTH annual (Sister)Hood of Hope Sister Summit, and if there was one message we hope every girl carried home, it’s this: Sisterhood is about how you SHOW UP.

Not just when it’s convenient. Not just when you’re getting along. Not just when someone is watching. But in the little moments when you have the opportunity to make another girl feel seen, supported, celebrated, or understood.

Our 2026–2027 kickoff was filled with all the things we love about bringing our girls together: new mentor-mentee connections, big hugs, campus exploration, lots of laughter, thoughtful conversations, and plenty of pink heart sunglasses.

We talked about the kind of sisters we want to be. Girls named qualities like confidence, understanding, humor, and open-mindedness. They wrote compliments to one another, celebrated what makes them unique, and began building relationships that we hope will extend well beyond this school year. And somewhere between the hugs, the laughter, and the conversations, we were reminded of something important.

You cannot build a sisterhood simply by putting girls in the same room. You build it by helping them understand their responsibility to one another.

To notice the girl standing alone. To make the first introduction. To celebrate someone else’s shine without dimming your own. To disagree without disrespect. To extend grace, take accountability, and keep showing up even when relationships get complicated. That’s the work. And that’s the kind of sisterhood we’re committed to cultivating.

As we begin our fourth year, we’re thinking less about how many girls we can bring into a room and more about what happens when they leave it. How will they treat one another at school? How will they advocate for themselves and their peers? How will they carry this love into their homes, friendships, and communities? Because the real measure of our sisterhood isn’t what happens at the Sister Summit. It’s what our girls choose to do with what they learn here.

To our mentors who continue to pour into this work, our families who trust us with their girls, and every young person who showed up willing to connect and grow: thank you.

Year FOUR is officially underway. And we’re just getting started.

10/10/2026

💗 7 GIRLS. 7 VOICES. 1 SISTERHOOD. 💗

And every single one of them has something to bring to the table. 💅🏽✨

Meet the 2026–2027 Emerging Leaders Liberation Council (ELLC) of (Sister)Hood of Hope! Made up of five college students and two high school students, ELLC serves as the official youth advisory council to our Executive Board, ensuring that the voices, experiences, perspectives, and ideas of young women are at the center of the decisions we make as an organization.

Because at (Sister)Hood of Hope, we don’t just create programs for girls. We believe in creating programs WITH girls. 💕

Our ELLC members help shape the direction of our sisterhood by offering youth perspectives on programming, advocating for the needs of our girls, contributing to organizational decisions, and helping us imagine new possibilities for the communities we serve.

Along the way, they’re strengthening their own leadership, building sisterhood across generations, and learning to use their voices to create meaningful change.

✨ Different personalities. Different perspectives. Different paths. One shared commitment to lifting as they climb.

So, what’s everyone bringing to the table? 👀💖

Swipe through to meet our ELLC girlies, learn a little about who they are, and discover the kind of sister you can count on each of them to be.

Because there’s room for every girl in our sisterhood — and every girl deserves a seat at the table. 🩷

Show our emerging leaders some love in the comments! 💌👇🏽

08/17/2026

✨ MEET THE BOARD ✨

The women behind Sisterhood of Hope bring different stories, strengths, and gifts to this work—but they are united by one shared belief: our girls deserve to be seen, supported, challenged, celebrated, and surrounded by people who believe in who they are becoming. 💗

This board leads with purpose. They build relationships, strengthen our programs, support our mentors, protect our sustainability, and help us continue creating spaces where girls of Color can grow in confidence, connection, leadership, and hope.

And because titles only tell part of the story, we asked an even more important question:

Why do you do this work?

Swipe ➡️ to meet the women helping carry our mission forward and learn the why behind the work.

Here’s to another year of sisterhood, possibility, and showing our girls what it looks like when women come together to build something bigger than themselves. ✨

08/04/2026

💗✨ We’re here until 11:00 AM! Come see us! ✨💗

Our amazing (Sister)Hood of Hope alumni, Nyla and Michelle, are back where it all began—recruiting the next class of mentees at East St. Louis Senior High School’s Orientation today from 9:00–11:00 AM! 🎉

Stop by our table to learn how you can become part of a community that builds confidence, leadership, lifelong friendships, and unforgettable experiences.

💖 Know a girl who needs a sister? There’s room for everyone in our sisterhood.

Apply today:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhTm5qWQDUYZHiJVtibaWXizRL6rZ6NuAOSq60NL6uHcRXaw/viewform/

08/03/2026

🩷 NOW ACCEPTING MENTEE APPLICATIONS! 🩷

Find Your People. Find Your Purpose.

Are you a high school girl of Color in East St. Louis or the Chicago area looking for a community where you can grow, lead, and belong?

At (Sister)Hood of Hope, you'll join a sisterhood that believes in your brilliance and walks alongside you as you discover your voice, purpose, and power. Our mission is to elevate the voices, power, and brilliance of Girls of Color through mentoring, positive youth development, and leadership opportunities.

✨ As a mentee, you'll:
🩷 Be matched with a caring mentor
🌍 Participate in monthly leadership sessions
🤝 Create a community impact project
🎓 Build confidence, purpose, and lifelong friendships
🎉 Attend our annual Sister Summit and end-of-year leadership trip

Our program is just $15 per month, and we welcome high school girls (grades 9–12) who are ready to grow, make a difference, and become part of something bigger than themselves.

📲 Apply today: https://forms.gle/5NzfVkrbfoJfW8Vo6

Know an amazing young woman who would thrive in our sisterhood? Tag her below or share this post so we can reach more future leaders! 💕

Da’Miya Brown was a mother, spoken word poet, scholar-activist, dear friend, and servant leader in her community. As a young girl making sense of life and motherhood, she graduated from East St. Louis Senior High School in the Class of 2021 after welcoming her two sons, Damir and Damari, into the ...

07/26/2026

BECOME A MENTOR WITH (SISTER)HOOD OF HOPE! One caring, consistent adult can make all the difference.

(Sister)Hood of Hope, Inc. is now recruiting mentors for the 2026–2027 school year. If you're looking for a meaningful way to give back to your community, we'd love to hear from you.

📍 Chicagoland & East St. Louis
📅 Apply by August 20
🔗 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5Mpar7O4668rXEXkoURytdNjBwrslsj3-dsD70Vb_QqO8iA/viewform

Please share with someone who would make a great mentor!

07/22/2026

🩷 One meal. One code. A lasting impact. 🩷

What if your lunch or dinner next Monday, July 27 could help a young woman discover her confidence, build lifelong friendships, serve her community, and believe in her future?

With one simple meal, it can.

When you order from ANY Panda Express online or through the app and use Fundraiser Code: 9016560, a portion of your purchase is donated to (Sister)Hood of Hope. Those dollars help us continue providing mentoring, leadership development, community service opportunities, and life-changing experiences for girls across our communities.

🍜 Your orange chicken can help fund a mentoring session.
🩷 Your family dinner can help a girl experience something she never thought possible.
✨ Your order reminds our girls that there is an entire community cheering them on.

It costs nothing extra to participate—just order your favorite meal and enter Code 9016560 at checkout.

📅 Monday, July 27
📱 Order online or in the Panda Express app
💗 Fundraiser Code: 9016560

Please share this post with your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Small acts of generosity add up to extraordinary impact, and together, we can continue changing lives—one meal at a time. 🩷

07/16/2026

Some moments remind us just how much can grow from love, loss, and a community that refuses to give up on young people.

Thank you to Justin Andrews from KMOV First Alert 4 for spending the morning with us at Gordon Bush Alternative Center to learn more about (Sister)Hood of Hope and the impact our community has built over the last three years.

In just three years, we have had the privilege of walking alongside 60 girls across six high schools throughout Illinois. Together, we have attended five Broadway shows, traveled to Chicago three times for leadership experiences, completed countless community impact projects, and, most importantly, built a sisterhood where girls of color know they belong, they are deeply valued, and their futures are full of possibility.

One of the most meaningful moments of the day was hearing our East St. Louis Program Coordinator, Shawntae Brown, share her story. As Da’Miya’s sister, she reflected on what it means to now lead the very program created in Da’Miya’s honor. Her words were a powerful reminder that healing, hope, and purpose can grow from unimaginable loss, and that this work continues to ripple far beyond what we ever could have imagined.

To every mentor, partner, donor, volunteer, school, family, and young person who has walked alongside us—thank you. Your belief, generosity, and commitment have helped create a community where girls of color are celebrated for their brilliance, supported through challenges, and empowered to lead.

We can’t wait to share the full story when it airs. Stay tuned—we’re excited for more people to meet the incredible young women and community that make (Sister)Hood of Hope what it is. 🩷

07/06/2026

✨ WE GO WAY BACK… ✨

Our Y2K glamour shots are officially here, and we are obsessed. 💿🩷📸

This year’s Sister Symposium theme, “We Go Way Back,” wasn’t just about butterfly clips, baby tees, and early-2000s fashion. It was about looking back to where their journey began.

Way back in October, these girls walked into Sisterhood of Hope as strangers to one another—some quiet, some uncertain, some still learning to trust themselves and the sisters beside them.

Today?

They walk in with confidence.
They lead with courage.
They laugh louder.
They dream bigger.
They show up for one another without being asked.

These photos capture more than a fun theme. They capture the growth that happens when girls are surrounded by people who believe in them.

Every smile, every pose, every burst of laughter is a reminder that confidence isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something that can be nurtured through community, belonging, and LOVE.

As we looked back on the year, we also saw just how far they’ve come.

Here’s to celebrating every version of who they were…
…and every version of who they’re becoming. 💕

06/27/2026

✨SISTER SYMPOSIUM WEEKEND IS IN FULL EFFECT!✨

Chicago has welcomed us with open arms, and our sisters are already making this weekend unforgettable. From arriving from across Illinois, to diving into community-building activities, sharing meals, sharing their powerful Impact Projects, and filling every room with laughter, encouragement, and love—this is what sisterhood looks like.

These young women are not only building friendships; they’re building confidence, finding their voices, and reminding one another that they never have to dream alone.

This weekend is about creating a space where girls of Color are seen, celebrated, challenged, and empowered to lead change in their communities.

We can’t wait to share more memories from an incredible weekend together. 💕