As mentioned above reverence engenders in those who are graced with it a deep awareness of and respect for the God-given dignity they encounter in others. Readers who are not already familiar with it might be interested in learning about Project Hope Alliance in Orange County, California. The organization and those who manage and support it exemplify how philanthropy effectively – and in this case wondrously – addresses and fosters the dignity of homeless youngsters.
Project Hope (Homeless Outreach Program in Education) was founded 28 years ago by a schoolteacher who – using her car as a classroom – began assisting homeless children with their education. As its website states (www.projecthopealliance.org) Project Hope, now called Project Hope Alliance, helps homeless students from kindergarten to age 24 with a long-term, an on-site intervention model that helps them “access resources, enjoy being a kid, and achieve their educational and life goals’.
The website goes on: “We start with the conviction that all things are possible for homeless children. Therefore, we provide a holistic approach to solving challenges and address all aspects of life: educational, psychosocial, developmental, financial. We do this because we want to provide the level of care to children experiencing homelessness that we could give to our children”.
The site further explains the program as follows: “Studies show that homeless youth without a high school diploma are 346% more likely to become homeless adults. That’s why the ultimate goal for our programs is that our youth graduate from high school and begin on a path toward financial self-sufficiency via higher education or stable employment. Staffed by experienced industry professionals, PHA understands that each developmental age group has specific needs that correlate to unique levels of support. For that reason, we split up our on-site case management models into elementary school, middle and high school, and post-high school youth. Each model has specific goals, progress markers, and enrichment activities. For instance, our elementary school case managers work on making sure their students are meeting grade level standards in math and reading, whereas middle and high school case managers emphasize extracurricular activities and graduation readiness, and post-high school case managers create goals for professional development and financial literacy”.
Those of you who visit Project Hope’s website will be moved by its ministry and will agree that these laborers in the vineyard work with reverence.