Dawn Tyson serves as one of our teachers at Heart of Hope, bringing years of experience in education and a heart for helping our young moms succeed. She began volunteering in October 2024, and in March 2025, God opened a door for her to step into a teaching role, supporting our moms as they continue their education. Dawn is a bright light in our classroom, offering encouragement and helping each student see what is possible.

Dawn is wife to Don, a mother of four, and a grandmother to three grandboys who bring her much joy. She is active in her church and loves spending her free time with her family.

Dr. Keiah Ellis brings a heart for teaching, biblical discipleship, and practical growth to her work with individuals and families. With a background in classroom education and temperament-based counseling, she helps others understand their God-given design, build healthier relationships, and take meaningful steps toward maturity. She also equips future counselors through T.E.A.C.H. Academy, keeping biblical truth and personal responsibility at the heart of her instruction.

A few of her favorite things? Sushi, a trip to Hobby Lobby, and the opportunity to decorate! Her favorite Scripture is Psalm 119, reflecting her love for God’s Word and its guidance for everyday life.

Janice Fontenot is a certified educator and founder of JF Tutoring, Art and Music. She has served as one of Heart of Hope’s teachers since 2023, playing an instrumental role in helping our student-moms reach their educational goals. With a special love for math and science, Janice welcomes the challenge of helping each student grow and takes great joy in celebrating their progress and milestones.

Janice also prepares taxes during tax season! She is active in her church and loves being involved in the lives of her children and grandchildren. We are grateful for the experience, dedication, and joy she brings to our classroom!

Sara was born in Texas but raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. Her education and professional background is social work. She owned and operated a local small business, Sugarwalk Popcorn, a gourmet popcorn and snack store. She is a wife to Aaron and mom to four as well as a birth mom to one. She enjoys working out, baking bread, anything crafty or creative and serving at her church. She proudly served at Heart of Hope as an intern while she obtained her Masters in Social work, as a volunteer, the Social Worker, and an administrative assistant. She states “It seems I bleed Heart of Hope. As a teen mom and a birth mom, the emotions and reality that come with unplanned pregnancy are very personal to me. I pray I may share the hope and joy that can come from a very scary situation through serving Heart of Hope in whatever capacity I can.”

Sara has accepted the position of being Heart of Hope's Executive Director beginning January 1, 2027!

JTom and Christina Eskew serve together as the live-in House Couple providing a safe, Christ-centered home where young mothers experience stability, encouragement, and genuine family life. Together, they bring years of ministry experience, compassionate hearts, and a deep commitment to walking alongside each resident with grace, accountability, and love. Their shared passion is helping young women discover hope, healing, and their God-given worthwhile creating a home where every mom and baby is welcomed, valued, and cared for. Christina and Tom are proud parents of two, grandparents to nine, and great-grandparents to six. They remain acitive in their church at River Park. Christina enjoys sewing, quilting, exercising and reading. Tom loves to play golf, travel, is a master BBQ'er, and spending time with his family.

Since 2010, Jodi Burns has served as the Executive Director of Heart of Hope. Jodi has presented to over 200 churches and organizations since becoming the Executive Director. Jodi serves on the National Christian Housing Conference Board and has led workshops and been the Keynote Speaker at Pro-life organizations and events. Since Jodi has experienced unplanned pregnancy in her own family, she recognizes the blessed opportunity that God has given her to share the healing power of God's love and faithfulness with the young ladies who choose Heart of Hope as their home away from home. Jodi and her husband of 34 years, David, reside in Shreveport, Louisiana and their daughter and son-in-love have given them four grandchildren.

Jodi will be ending her tenure at Executive Director December 31, 2026. She has accepted the position of Executive Director of the National Christian Housing Community, a mission that equips Maternity Homes and Aftercare Housing ministries to cultivate Christ-centered families across the United States.

For 19 years, Janice has been happily married to her loving husband Billy Alvarado. Together, they have experienced the joys and challenges of raising their four wonderful daughters: Jazmin, Kasandra, Sophie, and Isabella. But their role as parents doesn't stop there. Janice and Billy have also taken on the responsibility of serving as leaders in the youth ministry in their church, guiding young hearts towards the path of righteousness and fostering a sense of belonging and purpose in the next generation.
While Janice's involvement in the youth ministry is fulfilling, it was within the True Image women's ministry that her life took a transformative turn. This is where Janice found a place where she could fully embrace her identity in Christ and discover God's purpose for her existence.
Janice's journey within the Women's Ministry was nothing short of a revelation. She witnessed firsthand the power of faith, the unwavering support of her sisters in Christ, and the profound impact it had on her own life. This experience inspired Janice to channel her newfound passion into helping women of all ages find their true identity in Christ and walk confidently in God's purposes for their lives.
She firmly believes that every woman has unique gifts, talents, and a divine purpose waiting to be discovered. Janice's heart is filled with the desire to guide and support women as they navigate through life's challenges, encouraging them to embrace their true selves and live out their God-given potential.
In her role as a member of Life United Church for over a decade, a loving wife and mother, and a servant of God, Janice Alvarado is a beacon of light, spreading kindness, faith, and love wherever she goes. She is committed to making a positive difference in her community and helping others discover the beauty and power of their true image in Christ.

I came to Heart of Hope to be a part of a team that helps young women through the difficult and often painful issues associated with unplanned pregnancy. I spent 20 years in another ministry of healing and restoration of young women. It has been my passion in life to share my love, wisdom and faith with them as they walk through the journey of learning that God will never forsake them or their baby. The staff is privileged to walk alongside them and assure them they are more than able to make good decisions, learn the life skills and tools for success and get to know Jesus.

Carolyn is a retired homemaker and co-founder of Heart of Hope. She lived in the community for 58 years before moving to Reno, NV to be near her children and 5 grand children. She is married to Scott, a retired SFD Captain. Her favorite past times are spending time with her family, writing and digital scrapbooking. When asked why she serves at Heart of Hope, she said, “ While volunteering at the CPC as an adoption specialist, I saw a need for a ministry that would house girls experiencing an unplanned pregnancy who needed a safe place and aftercare. The closest options at the time were all at least 2 hours away and not an option for most of the young ladies in our community. Believing our community could sustain such a ministry I decided to say ‘yes’ to God and make my vision a reality.”

Marsha is a retired educator and has lived in the community for 40 years. She is married to Patrick and has 2 boys who are adopted. Her favorite past times are playing tennis and pickle ball. When asked why she serves at Heart of Hope, she said, “ While attending a fundraising banquet for the CPC, the speaker challenged everyone to do more for the pro-life community so I took the challenge and decided to serve at Heart of Hope.”

Reisa was born and raised in the Bahamas. Her family relocated to Shreveport in July 2016 and joined the Summer Grove Baptist Church family in November of that year. She has been married to Glenn for 20 years and together they have 4 children: Gabrielle, Geneal, Ethan & Emery. Her hobbies are traveling, listening to live music and dancing. She has served at Compassion House, as a volunteer, then as full operation manager. In 2020 she joined the staff at Summer Grove as Missions Director, responsible for Compassion 360 and local missions. She states,”Having the opportunity to serve and support Heart of Hope is a dream come true. To be able to come alongside girls and young women during an unplanned pregnancy is so humbling and the greatest honor I could ever receive. This ministry allows me to be a tangible expression of our Heavenly Father’s love, grace and mercy to the ladies we serve.”

Sandra completed her Finance degree and MBA at the University of Central Arkansas and moved to Shreveport/Bossier with her husband Travis in1981. She worked for Pickett Industries for 15 years and for Coca Cola for 20. She is now retired. They have two sons, Daniel and Stephen, two wonderful Daughter-in-laws, Kim and Kendall and six amazing grandchildren, Bryce, Dylan, Paige, Milly, Monty and Cotton. Also, one granddaughter-in-law, Alissa who is expecting their first great grandchild, a boy, Reign Allen. Her hobbies include “loving my grandchildren by playing games, making messes in the kitchen and spending time watching and supporting their lives. I love working with children in our various ministries at church. This includes a free Tutoring Ministry, Children’s church, Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. We also love boating on Greers Ferry Lake, Arkansas while we are pondering the world’s problems as we float the day away.” She met Jodie years ago when she shared her vision for Heart of Hope with her church. She states,”Helping young women in their time of need tugged on my heart. I wanted to help. I am excited to get involved using my skills and energy to promote and expand this amazing ministry. It is deeply fulfilling to contribute to a mission that empowers young women and supports them in building brighter futures.”

Shannon is a registered nurse and has experience working in NICU. Presently she is the CFO of Leone Rehab Resources along side her husband Stephen. She has 3 children and 1 grand daughter. She has lived in the community for 51 years and is a co-founder of Heart of Hope. Her favorite past times are spending time with her family and hosting events. She volunteered at the CPC as an ultrasound nurse and met girls experiencing unplanned pregnancies who had no support, no where to go and thought their only choice may be abortion. When asked why she serves at Heart of Hope, she said, “I saw the need for a local residential home where these girls could go. At the same time I was considering adoption, but after asking God for direction I decided my desire to minister was going to be met through establishing a maternity home and building relationships with the girls who came to live there.”

Todd is the Customer Service Manager for AEP SWEPCO and has worked there for 30 years. He and his wife Amanda have been married for 23 years and live in Benton. They have two children,Wesley and Jacob, who will be attending Louisiana Tech this fall. Todd teaches adult Sunday School for married couples at his church. He is a certified scuba diver and loves traveling to new places. He supports Heart of Hope because it is a Christ-centered place for those who need to know they are loved and cherished. He states, "The nuclear family is what God's paln was from the beginning. Heart of Hope helps restore what was broken and gives hope to those who are blessed to come through this place."