RISE of Hburg

A strong start can make all the difference. 💚

At RISE, we want every student who walks through our doors to have the support, encouragement, and practical resources they need to keep moving forward.

When you give to RISE, you are investing in real people who are working toward real goals and building a stronger future for themselves and their families.

Help a student start strong. Give today through the link in our bio!

Every gift matters. Every student matters. Together, we can help more people RISE. 💚

One step.

Sometimes that is all you have to take.

One application submitted.
One class attended.
One phone call made.
One goal written down.
One boundary set.
One decision to try again.

At RISE, we know that changing your life rarely happens all at once. It happens one step at a time, often through choices that may look small to everyone else but require enormous courage from the person making them.

Our job is to walk alongside people as they take those steps, helping them find resources, build practical skills, recognize their God-given strengths, and keep moving toward the life they want to build.

You do not have to have the whole road figured out today.

What is the ONE next step you can take?

Mondays are a good day to stop and pray. 💙

Today, we’re asking you to pray with us for every person who has ever walked through the doors of RISE, every student currently taking steps forward, and every person God will bring to us in the future.

Pray that God would guide their steps, strengthen their faith, open doors of opportunity, surround them with the right people, and continue the work He has begun in their lives.

Some of the people you’re praying for today may never know your name. You may never know theirs. But we believe prayer reaches places we cannot.

This week, would you take a moment to pray for our RISE students? 🙏

RISE Word: STUDENTS ⭐

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” Psalm 24:1 💚

Everything belongs to Him.

The places we call home. The resources we have been given. The work placed in front of us. And, most importantly, the people around us.

At RISE, we believe every person who walks through our doors belongs to God and has value, purpose, and a story that is still being written.

May we never become so busy with our own lives that we forget to see the people God has placed around us. May we use what He has given us to love well, serve faithfully, and remind others that their lives have incredible worth.

Because when we recognize that it all belongs to Him, we begin to see everything, and everyone, a little differently. 💚

A big THANK YOU to the students from William Carey University who spent part of their day serving RISE! 💚

They rolled up their sleeves and got right to work, mowing, trimming, raking, cleaning up the grounds, and helping make the outside of our building look beautiful. Brian Hauff from RISE was there to lead the crew and work right alongside them.

There is something special about seeing young people choose to use their time and energy to serve others. Acts of service like these may seem simple, but they make a real difference for organizations like ours and for the people who walk through our doors.

Thank you, William Carey University, for loving RISE so well. We are grateful for every helping hand! ❤️

At our recent graduation, I stood in front of a room full of people who have been told, in one way or another, that their past was the end of their story.

I wanted them to hear something different:

Your past does not get the final word.

Your mistakes do not define you. Your worst decision is not your identity. And I mean that for every person who was in that room, without exception.

Because of Jesus Christ, redemption is possible. A new chapter is possible. A different future is possible.

That is where the work begins at RISE. Everything else we do is built on that truth.

If you want to be part of the Love RISES volunteer movement and walk alongside people as they build that next chapter, check the link in the comments.

Nicole Hauff
Executive Director, RISE

When you give to RISE, you are investing in someone’s next chapter. 💙

Your support helps us walk alongside individuals who are ready to move forward through education, employment, mentorship, practical resources, and a community that believes in them.

Every gift, no matter the size, helps make that work possible.

Help others RISE.

Learn more or make a gift today at risenonprofit.org.

A person’s direction can change the moment they start to believe life could be different. We have watched it happen.

We sit across the table, learn their story, celebrate the steps they are taking, and remind them of something we hope they begin to believe for themselves: where you are today is not where you have to stay.

Then we help with what is right in front of them. A job. A GED. A goal written down. A resource they didn’t know existed. And we keep showing up, because sometimes simply having someone in your corner can make all the difference.

Every person who walks through RISE should leave knowing they matter, they are worth the investment, and God has placed purpose on their life.

Hope can be an anchor while everything else is changing. 💙💚

Who believed in you before you fully believed in yourself?

We are so grateful for these six incredible volunteers who recently gave their time to complete RISE Adult Literacy training.

They came ready to learn how to walk alongside adults in our community who want to strengthen their reading and literacy skills. But this is about so much more than learning to read. It’s about confidence, independence, opportunity, and reminding someone that it is never too late to learn and grow.

Soon, these volunteers will sit one-on-one with adult learners, encouraging them, celebrating the small victories, and helping them take steps toward goals that may have once felt out of reach.

We’re incredibly thankful for each person pictured here who said “yes” to giving their time, patience, and heart to someone else. That kind of service can truly change a life.

We’re excited to see what grows from these new relationships, and we’re so proud to welcome these volunteers to RISE Adult Literacy!

We often don’t notice the people around us because we’re caught up in our own busy lives. But think about this: nearly 1 in 3 people in Hattiesburg is living below the poverty line.

That could be the person who served you lunch yesterday. The parent sitting beside you at a school event. The person working two jobs and still struggling to make ends meet. The neighbor you wave to but don’t really know.

Poverty doesn’t always look the way we expect it to look.

Sometimes what changes a person’s future isn’t a handout. It’s an opportunity. An opportunity to learn. To build confidence. To have someone believe in them. To gain the skills and support they need to move forward.

So we want to hear from you:

💭 What would have made the biggest difference in YOUR life when you were starting out?

At RISE, we believe every person has a story, and every story deserves hope. 💚

⭐ RISE Word: Opportunity