Hope Renovations Founder Nora Spencer Named 2022 CNN Hero

Nora El-Khouri Spencer, founder and CEO of Hope Renovations in Carrboro, has been named a 2022 CNN Hero.

This honor is bestowed upon stand-out people in all 50 states and 110 countries for making an impact in their own communities and beyond. Spencer was chosen for her “achievements and vision,” according to a press release from the nonprofit.

“There are no words to describe how meaningful this honor is, especially as such a young organization,” said Spencer. “We are changing the world, one graduate at a time, one client at a time, and to have our impact recognized by CNN in this way is a dream come true. On behalf of everyone who makes Hope happen – our amazing team, our board, our partners, our community and, of course, our wonderful clients and graduates – we are endlessly grateful.”

Hope Renovations offers a pre-apprenticeship program for underemployed women who seek a rewarding and profitable career in the trades, and offers hands-on practice by helping seniors in our community Age-In-Place through improvements and modifications to their homes.

The initial sparks of Hope Renovations were ignited while Spencer was working in Human Resources for Lowe’s Hardware. She became an avid DIY-er (thanks, employee discount!) and as she began to work on more projects outside of just her own, it became clear there were not nearly enough women in the trades. Spencer went on to learn of the sizeable gap between the need to help seniors Age-in-Place, and the resources to actually do so. These two passions were combined to create Hope Renovations in Summer of 2022, and since then they have graduated nearly 10 cohorts of women.

Spencer notes to CNN that Hope Renovations is more than just education, explaining they’re “providing hope to the people that we serve… We’re helping them renovate their lives.”

Before Nora was a CNN Hero, she was a Hometown Hero and a Woman Crush Wednesday feature right here on Chapelboro!

If you are looking for a way to support Hope Renovations and celebrate with Nora, you can purchase tickets here to their upcoming Summer Soiree on June 16th. Taking place at The Story venue on Franklin Street, the Summer Soiree offers a night of fun — hors d’oeuvres catered by Mediterranean Deli, DJ and dancing, pool tournament, cash bar, a silent auction, and a photo booth.

Congratulations to Nora Spencer, and the entire team at Hope Renovations, on becoming a CNN Hero!

Read Nora’s full feature on CNN.

Featured photo courtesy of bizjournals.com

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

‹

Photos: Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Tours Hope Renovations in Carrboro

Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su swung by Carrboro and visited Hope Renovations during a trip across North Carolina.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro's Hope Renovations the Latest Local Nonprofit to Suffer Federal Funding Cuts

The Hope Renovations CEO and founder vowed to "fight" against the termination of the nonprofit's federal grant funding over its equity goals.

Trump, Carney Faceoff in Oval Office Leaves Gaping Differences on Tariffs, 51st State

President Donald Trump and Canada's Mark Carney faced off in the Oval Office and showed no signs of retreating from their gaping differences.

UNC's Memorial Hall Undergoing Roof Replacement; Portion of Hanes Lot Closed

A project to replace the roof of Memorial Hall on the UNC campus began last week and is expected to run through at least October of this year. The project encompasses a comprehensive replacement of the entire 20,000-square-foot roof footprint. During the replacement, the Memorial Hall loading dock and a portion of the Hanes Parking […]

Carrington Hall has an Updated Design for the Capital Project

The new design will still include the same elongated structure but with a glass exterior, which will help with temperature control.

Hillsborough Commissioners Get First Look at Train Station Design

In 2008, the town of Hillsborough obtained 20 acres of land adjacent to the North Carolina Railroad corridor to develop a passenger rail service. Currently, Hillsborough is planning and designing a building for the train station. Town staff and designers provided updates in a November Board of Commissioners work session.

UNC Provides Construction Project Updates to Chapel Hill Town Council

UNC officials provided a semi-annual update to the Town of Chapel Hill about construction projects at a Wednesday council meeting.

Orange County Beginning Hillsborough Fiber Project Construction Next Week

The installation of fiber optic lines along state roads and town streets will begin in Hillsborough next week, Orange County announced Monday. The goal of the project is to connect county government facilities and install a backup internet connection in case of primary network failure. “We’re connecting all of our county’s buildings,” Renee Price, chair […]

Risks, Mined Waters Slow Rush To Extract Grains From Ukraine

Written by AYA BATRAWY Shipping companies are not rushing to export millions of tons of trapped grain out of Ukraine, despite a breakthrough deal to provide safe corridors through the Black Sea. That is because explosive mines are drifting in the waters, ship owners are assessing the risks and many still have questions over how the deal […]

Hope Renovations Founder Nora Spencer Named 2022 CNN Hero

Nora El-Khouri Spencer, founder and CEO of Hope Renovations in Carrboro, has been named a 2022 CNN Hero. This honor is bestowed upon stand-out people in all 50 states and 110 countries for making an impact in their own communities and beyond. Spencer was chosen for her “achievements and vision,” according to a press release […]

›