03/27/2026
As Heroes of Hope continues, we honor one of Peniel’s earliest and most steadfast pillars: Mom June Ida Kopin.
When Peniel was still just a vision, before the structure, before the stability, before the path was clear, Mom June said ‘YES!’
In those early days, many were drawn to the dream, but when the reality of the hrd work set in, Mom June did not shy away one bit. She remained, she excelled and she made a difference.
She became whatever was needed: cook, dorm mother, caretaker, counselor and steady presence. Nothing was beneath her. She gave up her own comforts, her home, even her personal belongings, to fully invest in the urgent mission she whole-heartedly believed in.
And she didn’t just serve – she stood strong. Those early residents knew both her love and her strength. She carried a deep warmth, but also a firmness that commanded respect and created stability when it mattered most.
Through seasons of uncertainty, scarcity and sacrifice, Mom June helped hold the line. What Peniel would become was, in part, preserved by her faithfulness in those beginning days.
Long before Peniel became a place of healing for so many, it was sustained by people like Mom June who stayed, who served and who refused to walk away. The legacy of Mom June Kopin lives on in every life still being restored today. Because every story of hope has a hero behind it.
