Off the Clock: The Surprising Compatibility of Social Work and Remodeling To create a path into the trades for women, Hope Renovations runs training programs for free James F. McClister | May 06, 2021 Nora El-Khouri Spencer, who owns Hope Renovations, wasn’t born into remodeling. Her parents weren’t even handy. Though, they were kind and generous—which makes sense, knowing Nora and her business, an operation that helps train and find remodeling jobs for underprivileged women. Most people start in social work and later move into a corporate position—for Spencer, it was a second career. After years in corporate positions, first in advertising and then recruiting, Nora wanted to find a better way to give back. With her master's in social work and drive to facilitate change in her North Carolina community, she launched Hope Renovations, a combination training center for underprivileged women and remodeling business that provides discounted services to those in need of universal design modifications.