Did You Know? • 38% of a single mother’s income in the US is 200% below poverty. • 50% of new hires leave within the first 97 days. • 10% of the world’s workforce is unemployed, with The Middle East and North Africa being the highest at over 20%.

“My life is in shambles,” shared Rich. His dream of being a police officer had shattered when he failed the psychiatric test several years ago. The young man withdrew from society; unemployed and living with his parents, he could not see a way out of his desperate situation. Single mothers, former welfare recipients, ex-offenders with a desire to change, at-risk youth, rehabilitated substance abusers, and poor communities with no economic opportunities – these represent a sample of the countless people worldwide caught in the cycle of poverty. Over five hundred million workers struggle to make a mere $1 USD a day.

Operation Blessing Is Teaching People To Fish!
Through the Hope Works program, we give men and women needing foundational employment skills the tools to get on the road to economic freedom. Giving a hungry man a fish to eat will solve his problem temporarily. Teaching him to fish, giving him the equipment, and training him to sell to others will create self-sufficiency. Then the cycle of poverty is broken in his life. Lives like Rich.

After being encouraged by his father, Rich attended the first Life Skills Enrichment class in Norfolk, Virginia earlier this fall. Leaving the house for five days in a row was a big deal for him, let alone meeting numerous people. As the free 40-hour seminar progressed, Rich began making plans to look for a job with a goal of becoming a writer, became more sociable, and committed to participate in the second phase of the program! “I’m so grateful for this opportunity!” he expressed.

Creating Jobs
In developing countries Hope Works takes a different approach. Students can't be prepared for jobs that don't exist. So, we look at a community's needs and create employment opportunities. For example, Operation Blessing Philippines teaches poverty-stricken communities the Bayanihan Banking system. This is a savings program that encourages micro-enterprise by giving small loans to families and individuals wanting to begin a business.

Rolando and his family know the benefits of participating in this program. The equivalent of $20 USD was all he needed to succeed at his shoe shop. Instead of picking through the garbage at the Payatas dump for scraps to sell, he makes and sells 18 pairs of shoes every week. Now there is food on the table and a steady income.

This is only a fraction of the many ways the Hope Works program has helped thousands of individuals and families rise above their financial crises. By giving to the Hope Works program, you can empower them to experience financial freedom.

Your Gift Makes a Big Difference
A gift of as little as $50 can provide a South American family with enough livestock to be able to begin a profitable farm. $100 can help train women in African and Asia to be seamstresses. $1,200 can also sponsor a US participant like Rich in our 12-week Life Skills Empowerment program.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

This microenterprise venture is one of many Operation Blessing projects touching lives around the world. You can be a part of improving the quality of life for impoverished communities by supporting these and other life-changing programs.

 

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