Founder and Executive Director, Kathie Thomas, to Retire in 2025

It is with a mix of gratitude and heartfelt emotion that we announce the retirement of Kathie Thomas, Hope Creates’ Founder and Executive Director, effective spring 2025. Since founding the organization in 2017, Kathie has poured her vision and unwavering dedication into creating a welcoming organization centered around healing and creativity for youth and adults in recovery from or at risk of Substance Use Disorder.

Hope Creates was born out of a personal experience with Kathie’s family. Kathie describes it as “a calling,” an agreement that if God would reveal the stepping stones and provide funding, she would follow wherever the path led despite the immense amount of work that would undoubtedly be involved. Within a week of that divine commitment, a phone call from a friend guided her to the Social Enterprise Innovation Competition at the Brown School at Washington University, winning $12,000 in grant funding and the professional support required to establish Hope Creates.

Kathie knew that connection is the opposite of addiction and wanted to create a place where youth and adults could have a supportive sober community to express themselves through multidisciplinary expressive arts while having exhilarating fun! She believes that reconnecting to life through the expressive arts fuels insight, self-discovery, confidence, empathy, healing and “earned” highs that come from accomplishment. Hope Creates enables youth and adults impacted by Substance Use Disorder to think beyond themselves, participate fully in community and engage in the exchange of constructive ideas of peers and others around them.

Kathie Thomas, Founder and Executive Director of Hope Creates

Under Kathie’s guidance, Hope Creates has grown from a grassroots idea into an organization providing three core multidisciplinary expressive arts-based programs that help those in recovery from or at risk of Substance Use Disorder thrive. The organization has delivered 90 Community Creation Events, 10 Make Your M.A.R.C. cohorts, and 14 Expressive Arts Exhibitions, all exploring 30 distinct art mediums – and most importantly – served nearly 1,500 participants.

Kathie is a model of humility, which is why she adores the words of Edward Everett Hale, who said, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

Collaboration with the community has been a key focus area towards engaging some of the most underserved and economically disadvantaged youth and adults affected by Substance Use Disorder. Partners like St. Louis County Family Court Juvenile Detention, Marygrove, Jennings High School, Fathers and Families Support Center, Recovery House St. Louis, Haven Recovery, RecoVET, Living with Purpose, Child and Family Empowerment Center – these are just a few of the referring collaborating organizations Hope Creates works with today. Additionally, Hope Creates works with over 30 artists and art organizations.

While Kathie transitions into retirement starting this upcoming spring, we celebrate her incredible contributions and look forward to honoring her legacy by continuing to carry out the mission she so deeply believes in. As we begin the Search for her replacement, the Board of Directors is committed to ensuring a smooth leadership transition. We will maintain the vibrant, supportive community for our program participants, teaching artists, referring collaborating organizations, and donors.

Please join us in expressing our gratitude to Kathie Thomas for her extraordinary leadership and dedication. We are excited to see the many ways her legacy will continue to inspire and uplift our community through Hope Creates.