Read my story from the beginning – Part 1; Part 2; Part 3
There are 131 children that are assigned to the Hope Center. In 2018, the Ethiopian government began to disallow foreigners to adopt orphans. They did this without providing the necessary services to care for them. Places like the Hope Center serve a vital role in caring for the impoverished children of Addis Ababa. The government assigns registered children to centers like this, but they do not provide funding to support the services. The Hope Center relies entirely on donations for their needs, and the source of those donations is Five Loaves in Louisville, KY. In the Amharic language, “Five Loaves” is “Amest Dabo”. Five Loaves is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, run entirely by volunteers and it’s sole function is to fund the Hope Center. As you might imagine, the Center operates on a shoestring budget and the staff are ingenious and resourceful so that they can do the most with what they have.
During my time in Ethiopia, we were able to supply the Hope Center with some items that were needed to serve the children. Children go to school during the normal school year, similar to how our kids do in the States. We purchased backpacks and school workbooks that these children need for their schooling this upcoming year. These are a huge expense for the Center, and now the burden of that is relieved for this upcoming year. Also, many of these children wear shoes that are worn out or too small for them. We were able to purchase every one of them a new pair of well-made shoes. The funding that the Center receives from Five Loaves supplies one meal a day for these 131 children. When they are in school, they get an additional meal. This means that when the children are not in school, many of them will only eat one time, and even when they are fed in school, they may only eat twice a day. Keep in mind that they are eating a meal of rice and tomatoes, or injera and porridge. It’s hardly the “meat and potatoes” that I am used to eating. If a person donates $35, that’s enough to supply one child with one meal for a month. Five Loaves works to engage people, churches, business, and other organizations who would consistently donate in $35 increments to feed these children. I can personally attest that every cent given will help these children in some way. Many of the volunteers who work with Five Loaves give significant amounts. The staff of the Hope Center are paid very meager salaries and often do without many necessities to take care of these kids.
Please commit to giving at least $35 a month to The Hope Center. You can give through Shore Community Church or through Five Loaves. Also, consider what churches, business, or other organizations you might contact to help the children of Addis Ababa. Finding $35 in a month is a relatively small amount for most people in the United States, but it can feed a child for an entire month at the Hope Center in Addis Ababa. A pair of shoes is usually less than $20 if that is an amount you can afford. If it is too much for you personally, consider gathering a group of friends, a church Home group or Sunday school class, or a group at your workplace to pool money each month. A small act of generosity and compassion can make a lasting impact upon a child.
Shore Community Church 
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