Community Hope Center

Since March 15, the Community Hope Center has served 8532 heartbeats, 2831 people visited service center, and 2505 households received food assistance with reduced operation hours. In June, the Hope Center began reopening the 192 facility on M-Tu-Th for 3-4 hours each day.

Requests for the following pantry items: Vienna sausages, canned ham or chicken, tuna and peanut butter. Must be unopened. (No clothing or housewares needed at this time.) Drop off cart in the narthex during service hours, or basket located outside church office door. Purchase from Amazon wish list here to ship direct. Volunteer opportunities weekly, click here to sign up.

Their greatest need at this time is for flexible rental assistance dollars that can be utilized to pay rent and utilities to keep families from becoming homeless.

  • $50 can cover a rental application fee for a family to move into permanent housing
  • $100 can provide 100 nutritious meals for families in need
  • $150 can provide 20 bus passes
  • $500 can provide a new home move-in kit for one family
  • $1000 can provide identification services for 4 individuals
  • $5000 can move one family from a hotel to a permanent home. The $5000 gift could include security deposit, first month’s rent, utility deposit, any applicable rental application fees and a new home kit (bedding, linens, crockpot, small appliances, pots & pans, utensils, etc.)

Contribute Online by going directly to the Giving page here. Volunteer opportunities available here. 

 

Kenya

Founded by Paul and Debbie Scott-Robinson, this amazing ministry not only provides food, shelter and education, but also offers a loving, caring, nurturing environment for children in need.

The Kenya mission’s greatest need is for 45 more sponsors for the 2021 school intake. The second highest need is for funds to finish the Celebration High School building.

  • $50 could feed 5 children on the feeding program for a month
  • $100 would pay for 10 students to receive a raincoat each
  • $1000 could sponsor 2 students for a year or 1 student for 2 years at Celebration High School (CHS)
  • $1000 will equip the library/training room with shelves, books, white board and t v
  • $1200 will buy 30 desks and chairs for the new intake (the furnishings are locally made)
  • $3000 will equip the computer room at CHS with 20 computers
  • $5000 would build half of the new worship center planned for the 3rd floor of CHS.

This is the latest update from Paul and Debbie in September 2020:

I’m delighted to report Utange is clear of the pandemic, none of the children in our care have been affected. Such a blessing.

The Kenyan Government’s prompt lockdown when the virus hit has resulted in relatively low cases of COVID-19 deaths. 564 reported, mainly in Nairobi.

Celebration High School remains closed until January as do all Kenyan schools. Our biggest challenge has been alleviating hunger. For most of our students, their lunch at school is the only meal a day they receive. We arranged for them to collect a relief food package from CHS (pictured above) to take home to feed their starving families during lockdown.  

We’re thinking outside the box with the feeding programme in the current climate. House Dad Festus split all the orphans into small groups. Each group goes to one of 6 locations in the village the first Saturday of the month, where they receive 4 weeks supply of maize flour. Serving a hot meal isn’t possible right now so we’re spending the money on reaching more hungry orphans with maize flour. At least the families can cook ugali and add some vegetables grown outside their mud hut to make a nourishing meal, if only once a day. We’re doing our best in the circumstances!

Casuarina House sees the return of Angelina, our oldest girl. She was stuck in Nairobi where she studies. When internal borders opened last month she jumped on a bus back to Utange to be home with her brothers and sisters. Much relieved as was feeling quite lonely and isolated on her own so far away.

International borders are also now open, so time to plan our annual sponsor trip!  14 have booked so far. Trip departs 21st Jan – 5th Feb 2021. Staying at the beautiful Severin Sea Lodge Hotel: www.severinsealodge.com on the edge of the Indian Ocean. Time spent chilling, visiting our projects in Utange plus a 3 day safari. Please contact me if interested in joining this trip of a lifetime.

Lastly, we have revamped our charity web site so do check it out: www.utangeorphans.org

Contribute Online by going directly to the Giving page here.

Haiti

International Christian Development Mission (ICDM)

Located in Bayonnais, this organization provides school for children, medical clinic, food and clothing plus training for adults. For more information, visit: http://icdm.us

The Haiti Mission’s greatest needs at this time are for the medical clinic and the feeding program.

  • $400/month feeds the entire school (800 students)
  • $100/month donation buys $200 worth of life-saving medicines/medical supplies
  • $500/month covers the salary for a Nurse for a month
  • $1000/month pays the salary for one of the 2 Doctors
  • $3000/month helps cover basic Clinic costs to save lives

Below is an update from Reverend Yvan Pierre in July 2020, and click here for how you can bring Christmas year-round for Haiti.

For the past 30 years International Christian Development Mission has served the people of Bayonnais, Haiti by:

  • Educating and feeding 800 children per week.
  • Providing free medical care to the community.
  • Offering services and community to senior citizens.
  • Building houses for the most vulnerable residents.
  • Teaching entrepreneurship to local businesspeople.
  • Educating pastors/community development workers throughout Haiti to build a better future for the entire country.
 

Most of ICDM’s resources go directly to the people who are being served. However, as the ministry has grown, they have also needed to build some facilities to house their ministry efforts. A key building for ICDM is the Center of Hope located right in the middle of its Bayonnais campus. This building houses the school, the local church, visiting teachers and medical workers, and many of the community activities which ICDM supports. It has been built floor by floor as finances have allowed.

 

We are now ready to build the third and final floor which will allow ICDM to expand its effectiveness by providing more meeting space and room for expanding their solar array (ICDM is solar powered). The cost for finishing the Center for Hope is $30,000, hence the name of this campaign: 30 for 30. $30,000 to celebrate our 30th anniversary of faithful ministry.
 

I want you to know I believe in this project. I have been to Bayonnais several times over the last ten years. I have met the children. I have met the entrepreneurs. I have taught at the annual leadership conference, and I want you to know ICDM has made a huge difference in the lives of the Haitian people. They have often made do with cramped spaces. They have done a lot with a little. Now is the time to help them do even more.

Contribute Online by going directly to the Giving page here. Contact our Missions Elder Carol Carbrey for more information and upcoming missions trips.