Ever since I heard my friend Jeff Shinabarger say the phrase, “We’ll be known by the problems that we solve,” I’ve repeated it to myself countless times.
The truth is profound and life-changing. While each of our lives have various peaks and valleys, we’ll be remembered most, in the end, by the problems we solve—and perhaps along the way, how we helped others overcome their own.
Every day, each of us has an opportunity to wake up and make a difference.
Today is Giving Tuesday—a special day set aside to do just that. On Giving Tuesday, people around the world come together for a global day of generosity to solve problems and help others. And today, your generosity can be doubled.
This Giving Tuesday, I invite you to help solve a problem that impacts the most vulnerable among us—helping orphaned children around the world find loving families.
The Hope Effect
This month, we are celebrating the five-year anniversary of The Hope Effect—the nonprofit organization I launched in 2015 alongside you, the Becoming Minimalist community.
What problem could a community of millions, focused on not buying stuff, solve in the world? With that as the starting point, we dreamt big:
The mission of The Hope Effect is to change how orphans are cared for around the world.
Millions of children around the world are growing up without parents. Unfortunately, in most developing countries, orphans are raised in institutional orphanages, which has damaging long-term effects on children.
We’ve known for decades that when children grow up in orphanages, they don’t receive the love, support, and personal interaction found within the structure of a family. As a result, development is stunted and learning abilities are delayed or lost.
We know there’s a better way. Every child deserves a family.
That’s why The Hope Effect is working to provide family-style care for orphans around the world.
Partnering with local governments, we are pioneering and expanding this innovative style of orphan care in several locations, including both Mexico and Honduras. Our model of care mimics the family structure, allowing children to receive more individual attention while growing up in a stable family environment.
Children thrive under this type of loving care. They grow up knowing what it means to be part of a loving family. Children like Antonio*, a young boy from Sonora, Mexico, have hope for their future.
Antonio’s Story
Immediately after he was born, Antonio was abandoned in a hospital in Hermosillo, Mexico, the capital city of Sonora. Alone, from the moment of birth, he remained in the hospital while the authorities were called.
Until a few months ago, the only option for Antonio in the state of Sonora would have been to go into an orphanage, never knowing the love of a family. He would have been processed by the government and simply moved into an institution during a critical developmental time in his life.
But thankfully, today, there is now another option.
Because of the generosity from the Becoming Minimalist community, earlier this year, The Hope Effect became the first nonprofit to receive government approval to provide family-style care in the state of Sonora.
When Antonio was abandoned earlier this year, the government contacted our team in Hermosillo. After just a few days in the hospital, Antonio was placed into the loving home and arms of a family.
Antonio became the first child in the state of Sonora to be placed in family-style care without ever seeing the inside of an orphanage!
We are proud of the work we are doing. It is having impact in Mexico, Honduras, and around the world.
Today, Antonio is receiving the love and attention every child deserves. He is growing, thriving, and hitting every developmental milestone. Every day, his family looks at him with love in their eyes, letting him know he is cherished and valued.
That’s our hope for every child—that they would grow up knowing the love of a family. Because that is where kids thrive best and find the foundation to live their best lives making a difference in the world.
This Giving Tuesday, Giving Hope Has A Big Effect
If you are new to Becoming Minimalist, this may be the first time you’ve heard about the work we do for children around the world. Or maybe you’ve been a part of this community for longer than five years and remember when we first launched the initiative.
Either way, we want to celebrate with you. And I want to invite you to join us today.
If you want to make a difference in the lives of children like Antonio around the world, we’d be honored if you would join us today for Giving Tuesday.
Your gift of hope will have a big effect.
If you partner with us today, your gift will change lives and help more orphaned and vulnerable children find loving families. We are aiming to raise $75,000 on Giving Tuesday, which will allow us to place 200 children in family-style care by the end of next year!
If you give today, in the next 24 hours, a team of supporters has offered to match every donation dollar for dollar—up to $37,500—which will allow us to reach our $75,000 goal. That means your gift and your impact will be doubled if you choose to donate today.
The Hope Effect is a 501(c)(3) organization, so your donation is tax-deductible within the U.S. If you have additional questions about The Hope Effect, send us an email. We’d love to chat with anyone who would like to learn more.
Whether you can donate $5, $50, or $5,000, thank you so much for supporting The Hope Effect and our mission over the last five years. You are making a difference. And together, we are changing the way the world cares for orphans.
Thank you for donating on Giving Tuesday.
*The child’s name has been changed to protect his privacy.
Anne says
We adopted our daughter from Romania. She had to spend 4 months in the hospital with very little human contact. Then, since she was proposed to us and we paid for it, she was put in foster care instead of an orphanage. At 10 months we brought her home. The changes In caregiver and neglect the first few months did cause an attachment disorder she still suffers with at age 21. But her health was very good, she wasn’t delayed, and it would have been much worse if she had been in an orphanage. It’s so important they get love and care from day one. Research is showing this more and more. What a wonderful ministry you are involved in.
Judy says
Are you tempted to adopt a child and bring him/her home with you? I would imagine it would be ❤️
Like me, I could never volunteer at an animal shelter. My home would be filled with furry/feathered critters!
joshua becker says
Well, they have laws in place that it’s not quite that easy. But, honestly, my greatest passion is to find loving families in their own hometown to care for these children. We’re tempted to work hard to identify local parents, approve them, train them, and support them. That’s where my passion lies. Only 1% of orphaned children are adopted in any given year, so how we care for the others matters quite a bit.
Patricia says
What a wonderful project! I wonder if any of the children you help out also get adopted. So many wonderful people are looking to adopt children. The process is much like buying a child by the time they finish paying for the adoption. What wonderful lives so many orphans could have if they could be adopted. God bless you and this work. This is finally a cause I am more than happy to donate to.Hopefully a good percentage of the money donated goes to the project though I understand the cost of overhead. God Bless you and all of the staff as well as the children.
joshua becker says
100% of your donation goes to finding families for orphaned children. We don’t use any of your donation for overhead – there are other partners who help fund that aspect of the organization.
Susie says
Not sure how long I have been reading ur blog probably 7 or more years. I have benefited greatly and still trying to get rid of more and buy less. Not easy with a family of 5. Reading this helps me stay on track and encourages me. I love that you started this charity as I feel like I know your character and heart for orphans. The Hope Effect is a great charity and glad to spend my money donating to it! Thanks for all your hard work!
joshua becker says
These are kind words Susie. Thank you for being part of the Becoming Minimalist community for such a long time. Wow, 7 years… my kids weren’t even teenagers back then :). Thanks for your support of The Hope Effect, we’ve come a long way in 5 years and feel like we’re just gaining more and more steam!