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HopeFest 2025 set for Sept. 6 in Gastonia; organizers say event will connect people to services
Summary
Organizers from the city and HealthNet Gaston told council members that HopeFest, scheduled Sept. 6 at First United Methodist Church, will provide basic needs, service connections and transportation for people experiencing housing instability.
HopeFest 2025 will be held Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the First United Methodist Church parking lot at 190 E. Franklin Blvd., city officials said during a council presentation.
The event, organized by the city’s Department of Housing and Community Engagement and HealthNet Gaston (the lead agency for the Gaston-Lincoln-Cleveland Continuum of Care), will offer showers, laundry, meals, a free store, transportation pickups and connections to housing and health services, Danette Dye, director of housing and community engagement, told the council.
“HopeFest is a community-driven event focused on supporting individuals and families experiencing housing instability, homelessness or economic hardship,” Dye said. She and Crystal Walls, executive director of HealthNet Gaston, said the festival aims to reduce barriers to stability, strengthen collaboration among service providers and give attendees immediate access to basic needs and longer‑term supports.
Organizers said last year’s results included 120 survey responses; among respondents, roughly 38 percent reported currently experiencing homelessness. HealthNet Gaston reported that HopeFest’s follow-up connections last year included three families placed into shelters, two veterans housed, five other individuals housed, 25 people connected to health care, 16 connected to behavioral health services and six enrolled in Medicaid, plus program enrollments in local HealthNet initiatives.
Dye said organizers hope for close to 200 attendees this year and that volunteers, vendors and donations remain welcome through Sept. 5. The presentation said transportation will be provided with pickups at both Walmarts and in the Myrtle School Road area.
The council did not take formal action on the presentation; it was an informational item. Organizers asked interested residents and businesses to consider donating or volunteering and noted donation drop‑off and online options listed on their flyer.
