Breaking the cycle of poverty, one family at a time, using a two-generational approach to making societal change.
Longtime friends Gloria Batts and Bobby Bradley grew up together in Huntsville. As adults, they witnessed the continual decline of their beloved childhood neighborhood and decided to make a difference.
In 2011, the women founded the nonprofit Village of Promise to use educational programs to break the cycle of poverty and change lives. The continuum of programs is modeled after the best practices of the Harlem Children’s Zone and provides cradle to career support services for children and their families. The programs cover education, social, emotional, and workforce development.
Since its inception, Village of Promise has touched more than 800 lives. We are not experimenting with programs – we use best practices already established and peer-reviewed. Today, we are known as a Family Advancement Center.
Village of Promise works in one of the most under-resourced areas of Huntsville. Our campus is located within the city’s largest public housing community and we are there to help guide and support children and their families as they transition out of poverty. The entry into Village of Promise starts with our Infant University. From there, children and parents are supported through a continuum of programs from early education and schooling activities, followed by post-secondary education and eventually training that allows them to secure a successful and independent career.
The Mission
Our mission is to break the cycle of poverty, one family at a time, using a two-generational approach to making societal change.
Our programs include Infant University, which covers infant, child, and mother health care, safety, and other relevant subjects for parents (and expectant parents) of children 0 to 3; Family Connections, a two-generation family literacy program to strengthen the family unit through workshops, parent and child time together, family mentoring and family service learning components; and Promise Preparatory Pre-K3, early learning program for 3-year-olds to ensure students are developmentally and academically “Kindergarten Ready” by age 5.
What Would You Do with $5,000 and a Day of Service?
Village of Promise recently acquired a new space (donated to us on a $1 per year lease) that we would
like to transform into a welcoming and workable administrative office area and workspace for adult
family members and interns. This would require light cleaning, paint and carpet squares.