February 2014 – Tragedy turns to triumph in the life of American Idol contestant Danny Gokey (photo below). Gokey finished third in Season 8 of the hugely popular televised singing competition. But it’s not his success on the show that defines his triumph. Rather, it’s the heart God has given him to bring hope to the hopeless through a faith-based organization called Sophia’s Heart. 

Sophia’s Heart exists “to help mend and heal the hearts of children and families who have been touched by poverty, sickness, disease, broken homes and broken dreams.”

Gokey founded the ministry in memory of his first wife Sophia, who died unexpectedly after a routine heart procedure. His world was shattered. He didn’t feel as if he could continue living. But in time he decided he wanted to make something good out of the bad.

So he decided to use the money he received from the death benefit portion of her insurance to establish an outreach to families as her legacy. 

“Sophia’s Heart is a mixture of her heart and my heart together. And most of all the heart of God,” Gokey told AFA Journal. “Sophia … had a big heart for children and a big heart for the family.”

Sophia’s Heart came about through prayer and brokenness, and God has formed it into what He wants it to be. 

The facility
“You know God writes our stories,” Gokey said. “After I founded the organization, about two years later, a man ended up giving me a building that was 77,000 square feet, and we started taking homeless families into the facility.”

The facility is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and functions as a transitional living place for families. It has the ability to accommodate over 100 families within a year’s time. In Nashville alone, there are 2,000 homeless children, and when the Sophia’s Heart facility functions at capacity, 20% of those children can be helped annually. 

“This year [2013] we’ve taken in about 35 to 40 families off the streets,” Gokey said, “and we take the whole family in.”

That’s a key aspect of the ministry. While there are shelters that exist for single women and single men, Sophia’s Heart seeks to keep the whole family intact.

When a family comes off the streets and into Sophia’s Heart, they enter a beautiful facility. Various checks, including a background check, are conducted to weed out sexual predators and to provide a safe environment for both adults and children. Each family is given a room with a bathroom and a welcome package. Then the ministry gives them a week to rest. 

“Coming out of homelessness is pretty deep,” Gokey explained. “Then after a week we start plugging them into our program.”

The process of restoration
Sophia’s Heart has a program in place that is formulated to restore and renew the family. Adults are trained in dream building and education, and the children become involved in a music and arts program. 

Families are given a personal progress report to access and identify their needs. Once they are evaluated, the staff helps families work toward meeting those needs. 

“So they don’t just get a nice, fresh stay and food and all their immediate needs [met],” Gokey said. “They get programs that are tailored for them.

“We believe the best form of restoration is to have Christ in their lives,” he continued. “You can give someone all the essentials that the world can give, but if you don’t give them the essentials for eternal life, it doesn’t mean anything. The gospel of Christ is a big part of what we do.”

Gokey paraphrased Matthew 5:35-40 as a basis for what Sophia’s Heart does to meet the basic needs of those who find themselves in hopeless situations. 

“It’s amazing to see once in a while these miracles that come through our building,” Gokey said in reference to the support the organization receives. He describes the endeavor as a walk of faith supported by the grace of God. Though it is a non-profit ministry, there is no real formula to the way the organization gains financial support. 

“We give a lot of tours of the facility, and people and churches jump on board,” he explained. “It’s [supported] by a mix of churches and donors and people who have a heart to see the homeless community changed.”

The power of music
In addition to its Nashville location, Sophia’s Heart has a presence in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Gokey’s hometown. Presently, only the music and arts aspect of the program is active in Milwaukee, but the leadership of Sophia’s Heart is exploring the possibility of also starting the homeless family program there. 

But for now, music and the arts are making an impact in the lives of children just as music did in Gokey’s life. 

“Music, for so many years, was a connection for me, a connecting point to God, a connecting point to people,” Gokey explained. “It was just a gift that God put on the inside of me, and then music became that point of hope when my world came crashing down. It was music that I was able to look forward to after my whole life fell apart.” 

He auditioned for American Idol only one month after his wife passed away. She was a big fan of the show, and he auditioned to fulfill his promise to her.

“So music became this powerful tool to bring me out of a pit,” he said.

And God is using it in other people’s lives, as well. 

While Sophia’s Heart is at the forefront of Gokey’s life, he recently signed a deal with BMG Records and will be releasing a project this year.

“My whole vision is that this (Sophia’s Heart) would mix with my music,” he said. “I really want to start a movement and start changing people’s lives.”

Gokey’s plan is to capture the ministry of Sophia’s Heart on video and incorporate it into his concerts. He wants to combine entertainment and hope in one night. 

“The vision I really believe that God has put into my heart is to expand the organization into more areas, more cities,” he said. “I really have a vision for Sophia’s Heart to be the Harvard of Homeless Families.”

He wants it to earn a reputation of being life changing. 

“My hope is with Jesus Christ. … My hope is that He can restore broken families and restore broken situations,” Gokey said. “Time and time again,
He has been the God of hope to me, the God of restoration.”  

Danny Gokey’s book titled Hope in Front of Me: Find Purpose in Your Darkest Moments is available at online and retail booksellers.

sophiasheart.org
800-595-6269
479 Murfreesboro Rd. Suite #515
Nashville, TN 37217

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