Our Staff

Sarah Hale is the Executive Director of Urban Hope. She brings to UH a thirty-year career with a background in communications, marketing, development and public relations, with a concentration on interior design. 

Educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Sarah’s career has equipped her to assume the many varied roles required of an executive director. 

It was her work in interior design that was the genesis of her shift to affordable housing. What she loved most about that work was the ability to improve the everyday lives of families through effective design, and it left her longing for a deeper, broader impact. We all understand the power of home, for better or for worse, and she came to Urban Hope with the intent of helping our city improve the prospects of home for those who need better.

The most rewarding thing about her work is her knowledge that what she does all day, every day, is very tangibly helping to improve the lives of Urban Hope’s clients, as well as the future of the neighborhood, and by extension, our city. Urban Hope envisions a thriving community where everyone can find a home; when we are securing affordable housing that will stay affordable, we are working toward that vision.

In her personal time, Sarah has volunteered extensively at The Virginia Home, St. Christopher’s School, Third Church and the READ Center. She is founder and co-facilitator of the Saints Moms’ Bible Study, a large and small group study currently in its fourth year.

Carolyn Loftin is the Director of Housing and Family Services for Urban Hope.  The main areas of focus in her work are around being a community liaison for individuals seeking affordable housing, creating pathways to economic stability, and strengthening community partnerships.

One of Carolyn's most rewarding responsibilities has been to educate participants in making sound financial decisions that are feasible and practical in relationship to where they are in their financial journey. Carolyn believes that good financial management is key to navigating out of poverty, but if the information  is not applicable to real life, it can be a very frustrating experience

.

Throughout her career, Carolyn hopes to continue to encourage others to maximize their potential to stabilize their finances and to cultivate a community of individuals who will serve each other to the best of their abilities. She truly believes in the fruitfulness of learning to serve each other well, and also to learn from the experiences of one another. 

Outside of Urban Hope, Carolyn currently serves as a board member for the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust which seeks to develop and maintain permanently affordable homeownership opportunities for low and moderate income households. She is also an active member of the Transformation in Action (TIA) steering committee which strategizes with community partners and residents to create improvements that can be introduced into the greater community to bring revitalization for the commercial corridor in Church Hill.  

In her personal time, Carolyn is an active member in the choir and the worship team at East End Fellowship. She also loves to spend quality time with her family, pets, and friends. 

Oleda Lynette Christian is our newest team member at Urban Hope, as our Administrative Assistant. 

Oleda is from Hampton VA, and is a disabled veteran. She served 10 years in the Air Force as a Pharmacy Technician and deployed overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

It brings Oleda great pleasure to work with Church Hill’s community organizations in developing grassroots programs to strengthen the neighborhood. She knows that quality of life is essential for well-being, which includes adequate housing, community, and self-sufficiency. 

Oleda started out with Urban Hope as a volunteer and soon after became employed. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing poetry, gardening, and spending time with her three lovely children and her mother.