Welcome to the Team… 
A lifelong, Louisvillian, I graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College with a BA in History and Political Science. I received my master’s degree in American History at the University of Louisville where I met my husband, Jim Holmberg. We have three children, Elise, Aaron and Emily. Elise and her husband, Garrett, have two children, Leo, 8 and Lucy, 5. Aaron and Emily and her husband, Lewis, live in Orlando, Florida and all work for Disney World. My entire career has been in non-profit. I began in college admissions and transitioned to Executive Director of Learning for Life, a program for children with mental, physical, learning and emotional challenges. I had the honor of working with these wonderful children for 13 years. Prior to coming to SPARC Hope, I worked at Options Unlimited and Dare to Care.
I’ve always been a supporter of higher education; whether it’s a certificate, license or college degree. I have such admiration for our parents who are balancing a job, going to school and caring for their children. SPARC Hope is one of Louisville’s best kept secrets and I’m dedicated to spreading the word about it’s important work to our community.
Ruthe oversees all of our fundraising efforts and develops relationships with our donors.
Welcome Back to SPARC…
Before coming on as the Office/Volunteer Coordinator for SPARC Hope, I was a program participant. I was introduced to SPARC Hope (formerly Mom’s Closet) back in 2014 when I heard about their program from one of the local radio stations. By 2015, I was brought on as a Life Plan client. They walked with me through both of my degrees from 2015-2019. SPARC Hope made my life easier as a single parent by helping lift some of the financial burden. I didn’t have to get a second job to help support my son, Waylon and myself. I was able to attend college full-time throughout the entire program because I knew I had the financial, emotional, & spiritual support from SPARC.
I graduated from Indiana University in 2019 with a BA in Psychology. My focus was in Organizational/Industrial Psychology and working relationships. I love that I’m able to translate my interests in work psychology into my current role as the Office/Volunteer Coordinator. It is a great pleasure being able to find meaningful positions for my volunteers at SPARC.
Destiny makes sure the office is running smoothly, trains and oversees all of our volunteers and our food pantry.
Breakfast Of Champions
Be a part of this exciting event by becoming a Premier or Master Sponsor OR a table host at our Breakfast of Champions! Invite 7 friends, family members, neighbors, and/or co-workers to attend this event to learn more about SPARC Hope and the wonderful work we do to break the cycle of poverty through higher education. It’s a great opportunity to start the day with fellowship while learning more about the work that we do in the community. Can’t attend? We have sponsorship opportunities available that can give your company exposure to over 150 guests as well as support a great cause. Do you want to learn more? Contact Ruthe Holmberg, Development Coordinator, at ruthe@sparc-hope.org or 502-245-9899.
For more information visit our Breakfast of Champions Page
Celebrating a Successful Event
The Churchill Downs Opening Night Gala was a wonderful event! We had an amazing night enjoying the races, great food, and a lot of fun! We raised over $38,000 to support single parents as they balance work, school and raising their children! This money will provide food, gas, rent / utility assistance and emergency repairs.
However, it takes more than one event to continue this important work.
So, what is next? How can you continue to give our single parents a hand up? You Can become a SPARC Supporter. $25 a month will assist a family with food, $50 a month will provide gasoline to get our clients to work and school, and $100 a month will help with utilities. Join the team, help our families break the cycle of need!
Introducing New Clients
At the beginning of this year we set a goal, to help us assist as many single parents as our annual budget would allow. Just a few months later, we are pleased to report that we have reached that goal. Since February, we have brought on 11 new clients which we would love for you to get to know, love, and support, just as we do. Here is a little information about some of our new clients:
- Ariana – mom to a 3 year old little girl. She is going for her Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Louisville. She also works as a caregiver.
- Royalty – mother of 3 children; 8 month old twins and a 2 year old boy. She is working for JCPS while going to get a degree in Education.
- Amy – working while attending JCTC for Nursing. She is the mother of an 11 year old daughter.
- Ornella – mother of a 7 year old little girl. She is working towards her RN at Sullivan University while working as a medical assistant.
- Cherrelle – mother of a 12 year old boy. She is working while she is going to school for her LPN from MedQuest College.
- Tiffany – mother of two. She is waiting tables while putting herself through cosmetology school.
- Lauren – mother of 3 children, ages 11, 15, and 17. She is working and attending Sullivan University for a degree in Human Services.
- Ursula – mother of an 11 year old daughter. She is working as a peer support specialist while attending Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, pursuing a degree in social work.
For more information visit our events page
The best way to keep up with SPARC Hope is to follow us on social media. Every week you get updates on current clients and you can keep up with our graduates with our “Alumni Edition”. We post pantry needs and volunteer needs. We even spotlight some of our wonderful supporters and post information on upcoming events.
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Want to make an impact!? Two things that really help SPARC Hope would be to give us a Google review, you can do so here, and consider becoming a SPARC Supporter, which you can learn more about here.
Google reviews help us grow our reach and we would love to hear your feedback, and SPARC Supporters help us assist our clients financially.