Our Vision

Anyone, anywhere, anytime experiencing the heartache of having a missing loved one can find the source of hope and strength needed to hold on.

Burt & Carolyn

Rosen

About Us

Burt and Carolyn Rosen are co-founders of Hold On To Hope—an organization that provides compassionate support, encouragement, and hope to those with a missing loved one.

Burt and Carolyn met when they were 16, became high school sweethearts, and married in 1973. They have four grown children— Matthew, Jeremy, Ana, and Rebekah.

While having a long history of working with diverse groups and cultures, they had never personally worked with homeless people. But when their oldest son Matthew withdrew from college, became homeless, and disappeared, their hearts were broken, and their eyes opened to what it is like to have a missing loved one and not have someone to turn to. Someone who understands from personal experience. A year after Matthew’s disappearance Burt, as CEO, and Carolyn, joined Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) in Knoxville, TN where together they have worked with countless numbers of people in need of some help and hope.

Today, Burt and Carolyn are proud to call Knoxville home, and believe that God has prepared and led them to this important new work of Hold On To Hope—borne out of their family experience with their missing son—to be available to those who, like them, need to “hold on to hope.”

FAMILIES HOLD ON TO THE HOPE THEIR LOVED ONE WILL BE FOUND…

There are nearly 600,000 missing persons in the US. Real people. Most with loved ones who care about them and have no idea of their whereabouts. Many hope for a clue… some sign their son, daughter, parent or sibling is alive and will be found. Sometimes it’s just plain hard to keep hope alive. And it can be so painful.

Enter Hold On To Hope.

Burt and Carolyn get it. They have lived it for over 20 years and offer a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on, words of encouragement and prayer for what can be a long journey.

Holding On

To Hope

She came through the doors sobbing

She came through KARM‘s front doors sobbing. Carolyn “happened” to be there.  Carolyn consoled her as she explained that her son, an addict who cannot live at home, has not checked in with her in some time.  She came to the shelter in hopes of at least knowing he was alive.  She found what she needed in the form of helpful information, an empathetic and understanding shoulder to cry on.  She left being able to hold on to hope.

29 year old Alice

Adopted when still a small child, she has been in and out of drug rehab programs, and diagnosed bi-polar.  Although periodically checking in to let her folks know her whereabouts—it had now been months.  Fear and worry set in.  In their quest to find Alice, they contacted City Gate Network—an affiliation of Gospel rescue missions across the US and beyond, which led to a call to us.  Mom needed help…and Hope… even if only through a phone call. We spoke, we prayed, and provided a resource should her daughter return.  She hung up being able to hold on to hope a bit longer.

R & D

It came out of nowhere. Carolyn merely asked John (name changed) how he was doing. Soon his eyes welled with tears and then he sobbed he shared the painful journey of their son who had now been missing for some time.  This would lead to many conversations with John and eventually his wife as well.  We learned of the family strain.  How hard it was—and is—for all of them.  Today they know where their son is—most of the time.  They needed to talk with someone who gets it.  Someone to lean on and help them “hold on to hope.”

Searching for Brandon

Searching for their missing son Brandon, Dennis and Debbie reached out to our homeless shelter, where he had stayed before, hoping to find him. Unfortunately, he was not there. After our own search of the streets and homeless shelters across the country came up empty, we offered Dennis and Debbie a chance to “talk” since Carolyn and I know firsthand the heartache they are experiencing. They readily accepted. What began as an introductory call in late 2022 became a monthly zoom call where we encourage each other and pray for our missing children and other members of the family who also struggle. We support each other through the holidays, birthdays and other special family moments when the absence of a missing loved one can be so painful. We help them hold on to hope.

Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.

Proverbs 13:12