Mark your calendar now to attend our seventh annual Hearts for Hope Women’s Tea, Saturday, May 1. This elegant event for women only is our major fund-raiser for Hope Family Center, our long-term residential and life recovery center for homeless and displaced women and children.

Here’s what you need to know:


We will begin accepting reservations for this year’s Tea on Monday, March 15. Feel free to contact Melissa Tagg, event coordinator, at (515) 265-7272 or info@hopeiowa.org with any questions.


We’re excited to announce that “Atlanta’s Hostage Hero,” Ashley Smith Robinson will be our keynote speaker at the 2010 Hearts for Hope Women’s Tea!

Ashley Smith Robinson made news headlines in March 2005 after being held hostage in her own apartment by Brian Nichols following his deadly rampage at Atlanta’s Fulton County Courthouse. During her seven hours as Nichols’ hostage, Ashley read to him from Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life and encouraged him to turn himself in. According to her Web site, Ashley “believes that God led her through her dark hours with Nichols, and has called her to use the highly publicized experience to help unlikely angels everywhere find hope.”

Ashley’s book, Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of Atlanta’s Hostage Hero, debuted at #15 on the New York Times Bestseller List.



Tickets for this year’s Tea cost $25.00. Tickets will be made available in March and must be purchased prior to the Tea. Please note: The ticket price covers the cost of your meal at this event. It is not considered a tax-deductible contribution to Hope Ministries. Those who attend the Tea will have the opportunity to give above and beyond the meal cost to support our fund-raising event.

We are accepting registrations for our Tea through Wednesday, April 21. You can register for this year’s Tea by calling (515) 265-7272. Or, register online here.

Why is there a ticket price for this year’s Tea? Click here to learn more.


We are looking for women with a heart for hope and a willingness to go to the additional effort of finding enough family members and friends to fill a table of 10! Last year, 55 table hostesses helped us fill the grand ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel.

Several notes about serving as a table hostess:
  • We are looking for committed hostesses who understand this event is our major fund-raiser for Hope Family Center. We encourage you to invite guests who have a heart for giving.
  • We will provide information and invitations for you to hand out to potential guests.
  • Your table will be officially reserved once we receive your list of guests and payment for tickets.
To request to host a table, please contact Melissa Tagg, event coordinator, at (515) 265-7272, ext. 104, or info@hopeiowa.org.



We’re so pleased to welcome back Brooke Bouma of WHO-TV Channel 13 as our guest emcee again this year. This will be Brooke’s third year to join us for the Hearts for Hope Women’s Tea! Brooke is a co-anchor of WHO-TV’s Today in Iowa morning program. An Iowa native, Brooke says, “I admire the work Hope Ministries is doing to meet the needs of homeless and hungry women and children in central Iowa.”

Hope Ministries thanks Community State Bank for its corporate sponsorship of this event!

Coming Soon!


View 2009 Hearts of Hope Women's Tea photo gallery.

View the results of the 2009 Hearts of Hope Women's Tea.