Learn more about Project House of Hope and how you can help just like Lehigh Valley native Kathy McLaughlin.

 

Here is some information about Project House of Hope from Kathy…

Project House of Hope was organized in March of 2013, when our Partner, Kesnell Toussaint, who lives in Haiti, called Amy Fletcher Kaltenbach to ask for help with the children at this particular orphanage, as the “momma” had left and the children were sick and hungry. Kesnell, Amy, and myself all met through Soles 4 Souls, a non-profit organization that distributes shoes and hope around the globe. My visit to Haiti in 2012 opened my eyes and my heart to the plight of the Haitian people. I was quickly enthralled with the spirit of the Haitian people, their hope, their work ethic, and their joy despite the circumstance in which they live. I, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the Lehigh Valley decided to jump on board with this project. It was time to advance my skill set and push the boundaries.

Project House of Hope currently is raising 7 beautiful children ranging in age from 6 – 12. They are being raised as a family. When Amy and Kesnell first co-founded this orphanage, the children were sick with scabies, ring worm, etc. and they were starving. (80% of the Haitian people live in abject poverty and are starving) The children had no clean, drinkable water, and no bathroom.

The first order of business was to get medical care for the children and then build a bathroom. Project House of Hope raised the funds for both within a month.

The children are now healthy, have a clean drinking source, a bathroom. The things we, in the US take for granted. Project House of Hope also provides school uniforms and supplies and pays the tuition for all 7 to attend school. We also raised the funds to buy free standing blackboards for the school. (A large % of Haitian children cannot attend school and the ones that do go only to the 6^th grade)

Throughout our short 2 years, we have managed to complete the above and also began outreach programs to the community of Montrouis. We began the following projects:

1. Goats to Hope. In this program, we purchase healthy immunized female goats and give them to a deserving family. This helps the family with sustainability in terms of income. To date, we have given out 35 goats to 35 families. Each goat is mated with our own “stud” goat. The first female goat born is given back to Project House of Hope, so we can give that goat to another family. The families get to keep all subsequent goats for themselves. This is the ultimate of sustainable programs and we are very proud of it.
2. Women’s Empowerment Program. In this program, we have 35 women who attend our seminars and learn marketable skills and take Health and wellness classes. I am proud to teach these classes from a Social Work perspective through our amazing translators, who live in country. To date, Project House of Hope has offered 8 Health and Wellness classes and taught 2 marketable skills classes. The Women are full participants and they help in the decision making process of which classes they will be taught, and what types of skills they want to learn in an effort to become more financially stable.
3. Heroes of Hope Youth Soccer Team. This program has 50 boys ages 12-18. The program is still evolving. Our vision is to have distinct soccer teams, practices with a coach that Project House of Hope will pay, provide a meals

for the team, uniforms and cleats, classes on health and wellness, and empowerment to promote the importance of graduating from High School and learning English in an effort to enhance opportunities for these young men.

4. Electricity Project. No, Project House of Hope does not have electricity yet. We are raising money for solar panels to install. We had a generator donated and are raising money to ship it to Haiti.
5. Sponsorship Program. Each of our 7 children are available for sponsor. Your $40.00 per month donation helps Project House of Hope provide food, medical care, and education.
6. Feeding Program. Project House of Hope provides 2 nutritious meals per day for the children. We pay our cook very little, but she is happy to provide nutritious meals daily.

Our 2 years young grass roots organization depends on donations from individuals like you and our many fundraisers. We do not have a fancy high rise office, or overpaid executives to pay. Every penny goes directly to our programs. You can donate by logging onto www.projecthouseofhope.org. There, you can see all of our projects and choose one to become involved with. We also take travelers with us. If you have a small group who wish to experience a humanitarian trip, or individuals who wish to share their gifts and talents with our children or the community of Montrouis, you are encouraged to join us. It is a life altering experience. We also have a Facebook Page and Instagram account you can follow us on.

Locally, if you would like to sit down and discuss how you can be a part of our organization, you can contact me directly at kathym.houseofhope@gmail.com

Our next local fundraiser is a basket auction on March 14, 2015 from 1-4pm at Christ Church UCC 75 E. Market St. Bethlehem, PA. We are in need of some more items to auction off. If you would like to donate a basket or make a monetary donation, contact me at the above gmail address. But also, come on out to the auction, we have many excellent baskets to bid on from gift cards to local restaurants, to yoga classes, to household items, a large and generous variety of baskets. We appreciate your support.

Thank you Kathy for sharing information about your organization with us!!!