About An Ounce of Kibou

Kibou. In Japanese, it means hope.

At An Ounce of Kibou, we believe hope is not something distant or earned. It is something that can be touched, breathed, and lived one moment of presence, one act of care, one ounce at a time.

We are a nonprofit organization devoted to creating sacred, hope-filled spaces where women can slow down, turn inward, and remember who they have always been. Our work is grounded in mindfulness, meditation, sound healing, and integrative wellness, which is offered not as luxury, but as birthright.

We believe every woman carries within her an unfolding. A truth. A voice. A purpose waiting to emerge.

Like the lotus that rises through the darkest mud to meet the light, we walk alongside every woman on her journey toward wholeness, honoring where she has been, holding space for where she is, and trusting in where she is going.

Our offerings are experiential and educational in nature and designed to support reflection, resilience, and deep inner connection without judging, treating or labeling human experience. Here, every woman is welcomed exactly as she is. No fixing. No forcing. No labels. Simply the gentle, steady invitation to return to her breath, her wisdom, and the sanctuary that already lives within.

An Ounce of Kibou exists to ensure that no woman is turned away from this journey because of her resources or circumstances. We are committed to expanding access so that every woman who feels the call to emerge may answer it fully and unapologetically.

About the Founder

Elaine Y. Scales is the heart behind An Ounce of Kibou.

Her work was not born in a classroom, it was born in the mud. In the seasons of her own life where she had to find her way back to herself, Elaine discovered what so many women know quietly but carry alone…that the path toward healing, wholeness, and purpose is not linear, and it is rarely walked with enough support.

That knowing became a calling. And that calling became An Ounce of Kibou.

In recognition of more than three decades of humanitarian service, Elaine was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanitarianism, an honor she receives not as an arrival, but as an affirmation of the work she has always known she was called to do. For thirty plus years she has shown up, quietly, consistently, and wholeheartedly for women who needed someone in their corner. This program, this retreat, this organization, all of it is the fruit of that faithfulness.

Guided by a deep devotion to presence, Elaine creates spaces where women are not rushed toward becoming someone new, but gently invited to return to who they already are. Through mindfulness, sound healing, and stillness, she holds space in a way that is both soft and steady, where authenticity is welcomed, inner wisdom is trusted, and growth unfolds on its own sacred timeline.

Known for her calm, compassionate presence and intuitive guidance, Elaine meets every woman exactly where she is. Whether leading a meditation, sharing the transformative power of sound, or simply sitting together in silence, her work carries one quiet and consistent message…

You may be tired. You may feel unseen, unheard, or unvalued.

And you are still, as always, a lotus emerging.