Meet HOPEmatch
Matching local needs with compassionate givers.
How HopeMatch Began
Matching local needs with compassionate givers.
HOPEmatch was founded in 2010 by Erin Blackmore, who first saw the depth of unmet need while working as a food-stamp case manager. She watched hardworking families fall through the cracks — earning just enough to be ineligible for government assistance, yet still struggling to meet basic needs with dignity.
Erin started with a simple act: matching generous givers with families at Christmas — providing gifts of up to $200 per person. From those early gift matchings, HOPEmatch grew into a year-round organization offering financial education classes, personal essentials, milestone celebrations, back-to-school events, and ongoing support groups.
Today, HOPEmatch serves working-class families across the Charlotte, NC area — people whose income exceeds government-assistance limits but who are still carrying more than they should carry alone. We believe no one should be overlooked, and no need should go unmet.
Meet The Hope Bringers
The people who show up every day to match need with generosity.
Leadership
Erin Blackmore
Executive Director
Leslie Zabawski
Spiritual Care Director
Board of Directors
Lynda Ramsey
Chair
Todd Masi
Treasurer
Daphne Culp
Secretary
Elizabeth Brennan
Special Projects Chair
Adrienne Morris
Community Connections Chair
HOPEmatch Cares About The Overlooked And Forgotten
“To the wonderful angels who have made this happen for us… you will never know how touched I am by this display of kindness. This has been by far the hardest year of my life.”
Families like Angela’s remind us why we exist. Working-class households who earn too much to qualify for traditional aid — yet carry burdens no one should carry alone — deserve to be seen, celebrated, and supported with dignity.
Driven by our mission. Guided by our values.
Our Mission
We provide HOPE for local families who have fallen on hard times. We offer resources focused on strengthening community and providing support with dignity and respect.
Our Vision
A community where all people have HOPE, dignity, and a sense of comfort and belonging.
Our Core Values
Attitude
We bring a positive demeanor to every interaction, serving as ambassadors of hope in everything we do.
Communication
We take the time to learn each person's preferred communication style so that every connection is meaningful.
Respect
We treat all people with dignity, remaining mindful of our speech and actions in every encounter.
Authenticity
We serve with genuine, transparent, and honest hearts — never performing, always present.
Extreme Generosity
Generosity takes many forms — time, resources, encouragement — and we pursue it without reservation.
Intentionality
Every person we serve receives individualized attention, because no two stories — and no two needs — are the same.
Prayer
We plan prayerfully, wait for divine confirmation, and trust that our work is held by something greater than us.
Compassionate Humility
We serve with humility that recognizes the equal worth of every human being — giver and receiver alike.