We Have Been Waiting For This Day!

After months of preparation the big day is finally here!

Today is the day that 25 young men and woman will start their journey out of poverty and begin the First Step towards achieving dignity, independence, self worth, and pride!

In a moment of crisis it's important to bring aid to those who find themselves destitute but over the long haul what people really need is an opportunity to gain some independence. That is why Les and I started What Color Is Hope.

We wanted to give people immediate help where needed but our end goal has always been to empower and equip others to live a better life by acquiring skills that will make them productive in life.  This desire to equip others resulted in the creation of the First Step vocational training program.

According to the some latest statistics I found online. Nearly 1/2 of the world’s population — more than 3 billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. More than 1.3 billion live in extreme poverty — less than $1.25 a day.

1 billion children worldwide are living in poverty. According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. 805 million people worldwide do not have enough food to eat.

If these statistics are even half true we live in a world where many individuals face incredible challenges just to stay alive from day to day.

When you look at the world even our neighborhoods and all of the needs it can be a little overwhelming and my only resolve in all this is to help one person at a time. That's how we got started in the Dominican in the first place.

We found a single mom living in poverty with two disabled teenagers bound in wheel chairs whose names were Oscar and Luis. We helped one person, one family, and now years later we will be helping hundreds of families and individuals who we will know by name.

None of this would be possible without working with national leaders in the Dominican Republic who wanted to be the boots on the ground and take ownership in this training. We are partners not enablers. We also can't do this without partners and supporters like you.

For less than $1.50 a day you and I can change the destiny of hundreds even thousands of others just by helping just one person, one family out of poverty. Amazing how simple acts of charity can bring such huge dividends in life!

Do you want to be known for how much stuff you have accumulated over the years or how many lives you have changed?

Many people ask us why we started a Culinary School as our first vocational venture. The answer is simple. We had immediate access to students, culinary trainers, a kitchen, internships, and mentors.

80% of the economy in the area we are working in relies on tourism and hospitality. So it was the perfect combination of multiple partnerships. We are ecstatic to say the least!

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post. Today begins a 6 month journey for our 25 students. 3 months of Culinary Training and then 3 months of hands on internships in local resorts and restaurants. 

Many people ask us how they can help... We need donors to get this program off the ground. The cost of this first set of students is over $5,000. We have about 25% raised so far. If you would like to donate and sponsor a student please donate here...  

We are a registered 501c3 non profit organization and your donations are tax deductible. Thank you for sharing in our journey helping one person out of poverty at a time. This is only the First Step. We have more projects coming so join us on Facebook to keep informed.

Excitement Is Building...

The excitement is building as 2017 begins. We now have 24 eager students ready to begin 3 months of Vocational Training that will give them the skills to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. 

Life is not always fair. We don't get to choose what country we are born in. We don't get to choose what families we are born into. We don't get to choose to be in poor families, middle income families or wealthy families. Not everyone is given equal opportunity in life.

Life is not about fairness. Life is about change. As a matter of fact the only constant in life is change. The good news is regardless of adversity or circumstances your life can experience dramatic positive change.

Most people if given the chance would eagerly do what ever it takes to make their lives better. Sometimes people view charity with a negative connotation but nothing could be further from the truth.

Charity is when one person voluntarily gives of their time, money, talents and extends goodwill to someone who needs a helping hand in life. Without charity our personal life and world would be self centered, and self indulgent. 

Charity begins in a heart filled with compassion, kindness and empathy towards others. Real charity is so much more than a feeling. If charity remains only an emotion then nothing changes. It may make us sad, frustrated, even angry at the suffering of others but real charity translates into action.

When Les and I decided to form What Color Is Hope we both have spent over 25 years volunteering in humanitarian projects. We chose the Dominican Republic for no other reason than we saw a need with a single mother who was caring for two twin teenage boys named Oscar and Luis. Both bound in wheelchairs and whose home flooded every time it rained. 

It was compassion that turned into charity that translated into action. We shared the vision of helping one family which has now expanded into helping dozens and now hundreds of individuals and families.

Personally as well organizationally we are changing and evolving constantly. Every productive activity in life begins with an idea!. The idea of a establishing a vocational training center where real people will acquire real job skills with real job internships and job placement opportunities is no small undertaking.

The cost putting something like this together could have cost tens of thousands of dollars and yet miracles happen when you start walking towards your dreams and ideas. Doors open and connections are made. 

We were able to move from a conceptual idea to a tangible reality within a very short period of time saving tens of thousands of dollars. It has been exciting to see this unfold.

Serving others in tangible ways is charity in it's truest expression.

Our primary goal when we started What Color Is Hope is to help others help themselves who will in turn help others. If we can help just one individual acquire skills, establish greater self confidence, and gain a glimmer of hope for a better future then we have done our job well. We have fulfilled our mission.

Obviously we can't do this alone. We need partners, we need volunteers, we need prayer, and we need finances to make this work. Almost 1/4 or our students have been sponsored. We are looking for more sponsors.

Would you consider becoming a financial partner with us so we can help just one person at a time out of poverty?

The cost to help one person through 3 months of training is only a one time gift of $150 or $50 a month for 3 months. You can click on the donation tab anywhere on our site to make a donation. We are a registered 501c3 Non Profit Organization and your donations are tax deductible.

Thank you for your prayers and your charity in volunteering your time, money, and talent to help others live better lives who are less fortunate that you are. 

It's true, the excitement is building. Lives will be changed and the date for our first school is set for mid January. Hope is in the air and the smiles are starting to abound.