At this year’s Love. Hope. Dine. we celebrated all the ways Love & Hope has grown over the last 20 years, and also talked about how Love & Hope is branching out to support other ministries that align with our vision and goals. We touched on two things we’re focusing on to start: expanding access to education and supporting early childhood development.
We have always believed that education is one of the best assets we can give a child. It is why we spent so much time and effort placing the children in quality private schools that matched their educational needs and abilities. We have seen the transformational power of education in the children who grew up at Love & Hope. As a result, the kids who grew up at Love & Hope have access to a wealth of opportunities and a leg up in the competitive Salvadoran job market.
Over the years we have also supported a number of youth that did not live at Love & Hope. These were either children that the government sent home to live with their biological families, siblings who were not placed in Love & Hope, or local kids with a lot of promise. We’ve seen these educational investments pay off, and have decided to formalize and expand our scholarship program. I think there is no better way to underscore the impact this will have then to let you hear from our current scholarship students directly.
(Make sure to turn on subtitles if they don’t show up automatically! Look for the “CC” button.)
The early days of Love & Hope were filled with the sights and sounds (and energy!) of 28 kids playing soccer, building Legos, dressing up, making crafts, riding bikes, catching bugs, and eating mangos. Providing a safe, loving, and stimulating environment for young children is so important. It is critical for healthy development, and the impact lasts a lifetime. We want to continue to invest in those initial years of development, and not just for kids who live in children’s homes. Mi Lugar Seguro (My Safe Place) is a daycare and child care center in Zaragoza, El Salvador that provides a safe, healthy, and educational environment for kids. Sometimes families just need a little extra help, and having a safe place for kids to learn and play while parents are at work creates better and brighter futures for everyone. Take a look at the impact Mi Lugar Seguro is having!
As you heard Karina say, they are bursting at the seams! As part of Love. Hope. Dine. we raised $5,000 to help them expand their facilities!
I hope you are as inspired by these stories as I am, and I hope that you will continue to partner with us as we invest in the lives and futures of the children of El Salvador.