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Hope springs eternal
HopeWEB
Staff members of Haven of Hope include, from left, Carrie Farmer, licensed counselor, Ally Judkins, receptionist, Natalie Whorton, licensed counselor and Susan Gray, licensed counselor.

Haven of Hope in Smithville is aptly named.
It is a place for those who need mental and/or spiritual assistance who might otherwise fall through the cracks in society. It provides licensed counseling - free of charge in many cases - and is a safety net of which DeKalb County can be proud.
“We have been an organization since 2009 and have primarily two separate sides, the counseling area and ministry area,” said counselor Susan Gray. “In the ministry area we have Executive Director John Quintero who gives life skills classes for individuals who are going through recovery court or who are in the Sober Living halfway houses. All those classes are free, we don’t charge anything for those.”
Moving from their old location on East Broad, Haven of Hope is now located in the Magnolia House just off the square, the facility makes use of all the rooms. The more spacious and well-lit facility is funded by grants and donations like the recent book signing by Mickey Driver at Justin Potter Library. Driver donated all the proceeds from sales of “The Book of Whispers” plus $1,000 of his own money totaling over $1,400.
Haven of Hope has a policy that ensures everybody who needs help gets it.
“On the counseling side we offer a sliding-fee scale that allows anyone who does not have insurance or who is under-insured to still get services and not have that financial burden,” Gray said.
“We offer several groups including one for women of domestic-violence support groups, senior adult support group, social anxiety support group, teen girls and Al-Anon group we just started a few months ago that is going really well,” Gray added.
Money from the book-signing and other fundraisers help cover all those extra things that they do. They have events like golf tournaments, concerts and are working on a web site but until then send any donation to Haven of Hope or drop it off in person just off the square.
“We never thought we would be here but the Lord just blessed us. It’s amazing,” Gray said. “The donations we receive also help with training and all the counselors are highly trained and can handle just about anything.”
"Sometimes you see the worst part of humanity and you get emotional but you also see the best,” Gray said. “You see kids come in who have changed so much because of what you’ve done for them and you see families healed.  You see both sides; it’s great work.  It’s needed and kids who might not get love, they get that here and we take it very seriously.”
The staff of Haven of Hope consists of:
• Ally Judkins, receptionist;
• Elisa Allen, licensed counselor;
• Kay Quintero, director and counselor;
• John Quintero, executive director;
• Carrie Farmer, licensed counselor stress relief and Yoga free to the public;
• Natalie Whorton, licensed counselor; and
• Susan Gray, licensed counselor.
About Haven of Hope
In an attempt to correct the lack of local services for those dealing with addictions, the Quinteros joined the leadership of the First Baptist Church to found Haven of Hope.
Haven of Hope is a Christian-centered source of encouragement for people in pain.
It offers individual and group counseling, support groups, and a safe place where people can seek solace from the constant pressures of life. 
Address: 301 W Main St, Smithville, TN 37166. Phone: (615) 597-4673.