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.

55 People Applied For Our First Step Vocational Training...

I have to admit that taking something from a concept or dream and turning into reality is not always easy. Regardless of all the best intentions in the world nothing happens without actually taking action steps towards your goal.

Since I have worked in undeveloped areas for well over 20 years one of the issues you must deal with is the difference between a hand out and a hand up. When a community or a group of people are facing an immediate crisis there is no question that intervention is needed. The basics of course are shelter, food, and medical assistance. But then what?

 Crisis intervention is necessary but equally important is helping people to help themselves. That is why we are so excited to share with you that 55 individuals in need of employment has applied to attend our First Step Vocational Training. We offer a Hands Up Approach.

24 Students will be picked from the first 55 applicants and the remaining applicants can participate in the the next training session. As in any endeavor there are costs incurred and we are trying to keep them to a minimum. As of right now we need $150 per student to cover the expenses for 3 months training. It's only $50 per month for 3 months. 

"We are 100% reliant upon the good will of others to help us help others."

We are looking for sponsors. Would you consider helping one person attain a skill that could feed their family for a lifetime. Please do so by clicking on our Donation tab today.

This is an exciting time and as of right now the start up date is January 16th, 2017 for our First Step Vocational training to begin.