Today, Love and Hope turns 18 years old. 18 years marks the beginning of the transition from child to adult for many people. For our kids, it’s the age they move out of our “children’s home” and into our “transition house”. This means they take on more responsibilities – like cooking their own meals, figuring out their own transportation (goodbye driver, hello busses!), and learning to coordinate their own schedules. We work hard in the years leading up to this moment to prepare them for self sufficiency. By the end of the year, the majority of our children will be in our transition house.
And like our kids, Love and Hope is also going through a transition. Gone are the days of soccer in the yard, playing dress up, and pajama parties in the cafeteria. These days we’re focussed on graduations, finding part-time jobs, and navigating the challenges of young adulthood. The work has changed over 18 years, but the mission hasn’t: to show the love of Jesus to our children, to raise them like a family, and to help them break the cycles of poverty and abuse that circulate through this country.
The journey has not always been easy, but it’s been a privilege to share in the lives of these children and watch them grow. None of it would have been possible without your support. So whether you’ve been with us since the beginning, or just recently became involved with Love and Hope: Thank You!