Hughes & Coleman Hometown Hero: Joel Hawkins

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Joel Hawkins is the Board Chair for House on the Hill, a non-profit organization that provides food and housing to those in need in Warren County.

“He has a passion for people and a heart for people in our community, and really a good listener,” said Beth Wheeler, co-chair for House on the Hill. “He likes to listen to what the needs are and find out more about the families and the individuals that we serve.

He not only works with the community but both school districts in Bowling Green through the Family Youth Resource Centers.

“Joel has been a great partner for Family Youth Resource Service Centers in Warren County,” said Todd Hazel, director of Student Services at Warren County Public Schools. “Our coordinators know that if they need assistance and support, he’s usually the first one they call to make it happen.”

House on the Hill started when Joel was working with a church group providing education and developing food sources in Ghana, West Africa. The organization was put on hold when the country became too dangerous for the group to stay in the country.

“During the pandemic, we realized in Warren County, there were families that were going to be needing food, so we re-started House on the Hill and began serving families with food boxes once a month,” Joel said.

During the December 2021 tornadoes, they sourced food for families affected by the historic storm.

Over the last few years, Joel and his team have been serving food boxes to hundreds of families in the area on a monthly basis. His interactions with the families also uncovered that they were also in need of adequate housing.

House on the Hill is now helping families with housing as well as food.

“Sometimes you just can’t do it on your own. For whatever reason, you’ve gotten into this situation and sometimes you just need a helping hand,” Joel said.

He has created partnerships with various churches such as Plum Springs Baptist, Christ United Methodist, and Woodburn Baptist. He has diligently synergized with Meijer, Bowling Green City, and Warren County Family Resource Centers.

His passion to help the homeless and underserved is evident in his dedication to his House on the Hill team.

“I have a need within myself to help other people, just because I see the need,” Joel said.

Go to HouseontheHillBG.com to learn more.

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