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by Haley Smith, Regional Representative

When I was young giving didn’t necessarily come naturally—but finding ways to make money did.

At the age of six, my first business was the classic lemonade stand. I made the lemonade, painted a traffic-stopping sign, and set up a table. As the minutes ticked by without a single cup sold, I started to get impatient. Unready to surrender my losses, I determinedly went door to door, and, to my surprise, I sold every last cup.

For me, this was a turning point. I had earned something on my own, and now it was up to me to decide what to do with it. Recognizing this new passion, my parents began to talk with me about managing my own money.

They wanted to know how would I use my newfound income? Did I want to save any of it? Did I want to give any of it away? I wanted to give—but I also really wanted the new Boyz II Men cassette tape. It was going to be a tough call. Continue Reading…

by Lori Oberholtzer, Field Communications Manager

Advent is for people like me—those who have lost, mourned, and grieved.

For the last several years, I’ve looked forward to Advent, but this year I crave it. In a new way, I’m more deeply longing to feel the resurrection power that Advent points us toward. Advent acknowledges the oh-so-real tension that we’re living in a fallen world, yet God sent His Son to redeem this world and will one day make everything right again.

Not just some aspects of the world, but everything.

This year’s events, close to me and around the world, weigh heavy on my heart. Continue Reading…

by Peter Greer, President & CEO

’Tis the season for planning Christmas compassion projects. From filling shoeboxes to setting up angel trees, churches and organizations around the world are thinking about how to launch these elegantly simple ways of caring for others during the most wonderful time of the year.

There is so much that is right and beautiful about these annual giving traditions.

I love that they offer a way for whole families to practice generosity together. I love that they’re an invitation to think beyond our me-centered, consumeristic desires and recognize that there are significant material needs in the world. I love that they invite us to share some of what we’ve received. And most of all, I love how they provide a glimpse into sacrificial love and service, reminding us of the story of Jesus.

At the same time, there are shadow sides to many of these projects, particularly if they don’t extend beyond one-time charity distributions. 

For those of you who might be exploring what you should participate in this year, here are three questions to ask as your church and family seek to love and care for others well by getting involved this Christmas: Continue Reading…

Kathy Dodd was always at a loss when her four adult daughters asked her what she wanted for Christmas. Knowing she had more than enough stuff, she would joke, “Just peace and harmony in our family!”

But after learning about HOPE seven years ago, she soon began requesting items from HOPE’s gift catalog. Now each year, her daughters honor her with a gift while also investing in families around the world.

And Kathy doesn’t just turn to the HOPE gift catalog to build her own Christmas wish list. It’s also become a tradition for her to use it to choose gifts for her four grandchildren, ages two to nine.

Here are three reasons Kathy chooses HOPE’s gift catalog each December: Continue Reading…

For 51 weeks of the year, the front lobby of Willowdale Chapel’s Kennett Square campus is an airy space with cozy chairs and a café. But one Sunday each December, the room transforms into the HOPE Market—a vibrant, bustling marketplace operated by the church’s youngest entrepreneurs.

The wooden tables where people usually chat over coffee instead display greeting cards and candles, wooden clocks and mini-marshmallow shooters, all handcrafted by the children at Willowdale. With each sale, the kids work toward paying back the small loan they received from the church to make their item. Once that’s done, they give their profits to HOPE International. Last year, all their work totaled up to being a significant gift of $5,000.

“Part of our church’s vision is to love the world that Jesus is working to restore, and we wanted our youth to really learn what that means and to be a part of it,” says Jodi Byrne, who serves as a children’s ministry pastor at Willowdale Chapel, a church network in southeastern Pennsylvania that partners with HOPE.

The kids are invited to explore the role they play in that restoration during the three months leading up to the HOPE Market.

Continue Reading…

HOPE Intl

Sep 14 2017

HOPE Intl

News

By Amie Davis, Houston Regional Representative

On August 25, Hurricane Harvey crashed into the Gulf Coast, dropping up to 50 inches of rain in some areas. An estimated 100,000 families have been displaced, with up to 80 percent of those households being uninsured against flood damage. Today, almost three weeks after the storm’s initial onset in Texas, many homes remain underwater.

I live in Houston, and Harvey (and the resulting floods) is still at the forefront of Houstonians’ minds. While I was walking in my neighborhood several days ago, my neighbor and I reflected on how strange it feels to have a dry home to go back to, when so many lives have been upturned. As many Houstonians huddled in their homes, many were protected simply because of where their houses stand. Those of us who’ve been spared by the recent hurricanes in Houston, Florida, and the Caribbean find ourselves in a unique position to use our undeserved blessings to help others. Continue Reading…