generosity

From the Sewer to the Kitchen

kellyUncategorized

Before Clysa entered our program he was working a part time job cleaning up human and industrial sewage in Nairobi.  The job was a day labor job and often he would not be paid by the company after the work was finished.  Clysa initially started a small business selling clothes in the slums with a small business grant of $100 from Light Up Hope.  The business faced challenges of finding customers and at the same time harassment by the local tax collectors who would try to collect taxes even on days when he had made no sales.  After six  months of struggling he decided he wanted to return to school and was then able to apply for the Joseph’s House Program.  He is grateful for the help and is enjoying trade school this spring in food, beverage and catering. You can help support Clysa and other young adults with trade school or university education by donating today.  Monthly donations of $25 or more per month help stabilize the program and guarantee the resources are there to light a path out of poverty.  

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What inspires generosity?

kellyUncategorized

What do we need to feel inspired to give?  Does a child have to suffer to make the need urgent enough to forgo our shopping lists?  Can we support children to reach for the dreams, not simply end their suffering? Can we give generously without attending a party complete with a linen tablecloth, a three course meal and a fancy dress? al·tru·ism ˈaltro͞oˌizəm/ – noun – the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others. Light Up Hope believes in the goodness of the human spirit. We believe altruism is alive and well.  We believe in the individual’s desire to help those who need help, and to take a swing at structural poverty by standing up and saying “I can help and therefore I Will help”.  This strong belief is why we are not holding an annual gala this year, and are instead holding a Stay at Home Gala/Annual Give.  And our founders are willing to match every gift through October 15, 2015 up to $40,000 to show we believe our supporters will donate to heal and care for orphans without needing to receive a party in return.   Are you in?

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Enter the Fight for Love Challenge

kellyUncategorized

Every child deserves love.  Every. Single. Child.  Children in the U.S. and children in Africa, every child around the world.  But for many children this love is taken from them. Taken by disease and tragedy, taken by abuse, taken by poverty.  Children find themselves alone in life without a family, without support for their hopes and dreams and feeling a deep hole in their hearts that should be filled with love. Every day at Light Up Hope we fight to provide love for these children.  We fight to keep families together through our LIFT program, we fight to bring healing to their fragile hearts through counseling, we fight to keep their hopes and dreams alive through education and empowerment programs.  We do this because we love them, and they deserve to know though life has taken so much love from them; we are in their corner, fighting to bring love back in. Love isn’t something you find. Love is something that finds you ~ Loretta Young For the next four weeks we are issuing a challenge, a challenge to spread more love to the people around you.  Maybe you want to stand with us and help fuel our programs to […]

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What a gift! How a birthday party helped buy a playground

KellyUncategorized

This October two amazing 8th grade girls from Prospect Ridge Academy in Broomfield, Colorado – Lauryn Parker and Madison Schoeder – held a combined birthday part with around 50 friends.  Instead of gifts, the girls asked that guests bring a donation to Light Up Hope and the result was $1,000 in donations!  This is not the first birthday party that has been donated to Light Up Hope, but it is certainly the most generous group of friends we have ever had the pleasure to receive a birthday gift from.  Thank you Madison and Lauryn for your generous hearts and for showing leadership to your peers through your unselfish act of kindness! As they were opening card after card with cash and checks not for them, I was so proud of these good girls and the example they set of providing for those in need. – Lauryn’s mom, Kelly Parker The girls asked that their gift be put towards the purchase of a playground for the children at Hope Children’s Home.  Below is a drawing of a playground very similar to the one that will be installed soon.  We are hoping the children of Hope Children’s Home will be playing on […]

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What a gift! How a birthday party helped buy a playground

kellyUncategorized

This October two amazing 8th grade girls from Prospect Ridge Academy in Broomfield, Colorado – Lauryn Parker and Madison Schoeder – held a combined birthday part with around 50 friends.  Instead of gifts, the girls asked that guests bring a donation to Light Up Hope and the result was $1,000 in donations!  This is not the first birthday party that has been donated to Light Up Hope, but it is certainly the most generous group of friends we have ever had the pleasure to receive a birthday gift from.  Thank you Madison and Lauryn for your generous hearts and for showing leadership to your peers through your unselfish act of kindness! As they were opening card after card with cash and checks not for them, I was so proud of these good girls and the example they set of providing for those in need. – Lauryn’s mom, Kelly Parker The girls asked that their gift be put towards the purchase of a playground for the children at Hope Children’s Home.  Below is a drawing of a playground very similar to the one that will be installed soon.  We are hoping the children of Hope Children’s Home will be playing on […]

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