In a few short months, we’ll celebrate the three-year anniversary of The Hope Effect—the nonprofit organization we launched in November 2015 with the help of the Becoming Minimalist community.
The Hope Effect’s mission is to change how the world cares for orphans.
My wife Kim and I, along with a few other individuals, founded this organization because we’re passionate about orphan care. As a newborn, my wife was left by her birth mother at a hospital in South Dakota. She was immediately adopted by a young couple and experienced firsthand the importance of being raised in a loving, supportive family.
Here is more of her story:
Unfortunately, not all orphaned children around the world are raised in a loving family. In fact, less than 1% of orphans are ever adopted. Something needs to be done—The Hope Effect is making a difference.
The Hope Effect is improving orphan care solutions in developing countries around the world. Traditional, institutional orphan care often has damaging effects on children, such as stunted development and delayed learning abilities. Many orphanages simply aren’t aware of the negative impact institutional care has on kids. But there is a better way.
The Hope Effect is changing how the world cares for orphans by providing family-based solutions that offer opportunities for children to flourish and thrive.
Instead of placing children in institutional group homes (orphanages), we build smaller homes, each made up of two parents and 6-8 children. Children get more individual care and attention, along with stability and security, setting them up for future success.
Because this community has been so supportive of our cause, we’d like to update you on what we’ve accomplished and what we’re working on now. Since our founding in 2015, we’ve raised more than $550,000 for orphan care. We built a family-style home in Siguatepeque, Honduras, and recently formed a new partnership in Santa Rosa, Honduras—we look forward to bringing our innovative orphan care solutions to a new city.
For much of the last year, we’ve been working in San Luis Río Colorado, Mexico, located on the U.S.-Mexico border. The Hope Effect opened its first international office in San Luis last summer, and we are the first organization to seek government approval for family-based care in the State of Sonora, Mexico.
During the long approval process, we’ve been building strategic relationships with organizations and individuals in the city of San Luis. We’ve worked closely with the San Luis DIF (Mexico’s version of Child Protective Services) and have been showing love to the children currently in government care.
Last December, The Hope Effect hosted a Christmas party for the children in the DIF facility.
Thanks to your generosity, more than 89 kids received gifts of new shoes, socks, underwear, and other essential items. A few months later, we built beds for the children after finding out many of them were sleeping on the cold floors. We’ve continued to visit and interact with those children since then, showing care and meeting needs as they arise.
Once we receive approval from the Mexican government, we will immediately begin the process of constructing homes for family-based care in San Luis. Once this project is initiated, we can begin looking forward to additional locations, continuing to influence the orphan care community with this sustainable model.
I am incredibly grateful that the Becoming Minimalist community has embraced this important work. If you’d like to make a difference in the lives of orphaned children around the world, you can so do with a one-time gift or a recurring monthly donation—each gift has such a tremendous impact.
One thing that is unique about The Hope Effect is that 100% of donations received are used directly for orphan care work around the world.
The Hope Effect is a 501(c)(3) organization, so your donation is tax-deductible within the U.S. And if you have additional questions about the organization, send us an email. We’re happy to answer them for you.
Together, we are changing how the world cares for orphans.
Yes, orphaning is indeed a most inhumane process. Adoption as the option can be wonderfully blessed for all involved.
Keep going forward. My story at 78 was just released on Amazon.com. i hope it encourages you. . .”I Found the Orphan in Me”. Hugs to all.
Joshua, you are a big role model as someone who works to make positive change in the world. With the Uncluttered course and with the Hope Effect and most likely other areas as well. I was just telling my husband I want to be more like you, in that I want to use my time on positive efforts for my fellow humans.
What a wonderful mission you have initiated. It truly inspires me to keep on my minimalist path….. I will be contributing in the near future
And thank you for exceptional weekend reads!
Being orphaned, abandoned, abused or neglected is a life long experience that can only be experienced firsthand. I’m delighted to see that through your experience you can improve the heart aching dilemma in immigration and poverty with this evidence based practice of family based solutions. Thank you for stepping up and making a positive impact to an issue that personally pulls at my heart strings.
I thought about the immigrant families that have been separated in the US, as well. It would be wonderful if those children had access to loving homes until they were reunited with their families!
Indeed. Though that is not our current area of service.
My husband and I took care of 10 children at a boys ranch for a while. It was hard work, but we know we made a positive difference in their lives. What a wonderful thing you are doing for so many children!
My daughter adopted a baby boy from Cambodia who is now 18 and then adopted a baby daughter from Kazakstan who is now 15. That is our contribution.
What a wonderful program! You may have already checked it out but please don’t forget the Appalachian mountains and areas. I don’t know if it fits in with your kind of ministry but a lot of those children are suffering. It’s too bad all orphanages
aren’t family based like yours. What a wonderful thing your organization is doing. I can only imagine how heartwarming it is to your wife.
Linda, agree Appalachia could use help. The group homes in my area (some run by the Baptist churches) have up to 9 kids. Too young for school kids go to foster homes. The girls home is up tp 8 and has several house parents in my area, just out of the city limits, another one is appr 15 mi and I drop by items on occasion. Many areas in this country need help with group homes to incl handicapped adult homes in many cities.
What a wonderful way to turn what was excess into pure gift for others, especially a group of people whom Our Lord made clear needed our attention and our hearts. May this blessing to children around the world grow! :)