Tomorrow (October 10, 2013), Show Hope will kick off the "Brown Bag for Hope" campaign in honor of their 10th anniversary. The nonprofit orphan care ministry was founded by GRAMMY award-winning Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth in order to restore the hope of a family to orphans around the world.
The "Brown Bag for Hope" social media campaign will help bring awareness to their goal of reaching 10,000 sponsors to help 10,000 orphans over the next 10 years. People are encouraged to take their lunch to work or school at least one day each week rather than eating out and become monthly Show Hope sponsors with the money that they save. On average, a homemade lunch saves the typical worker $9 per meal, as opposed to purchasing lunch at a restaurant. By participating in this initiative just one day a week for an entire month, approximately $36.00 per person can be given to help transform the life of an orphan through a Show Hope sponsorship. Twitter followers will be encouraged to tweet photos of their brown bag lunches by tagging #BrownBag4Hope.
In a press release, Executive Director Scott Hasenbalg, said, "While we have been able to help restore the hope of a family to thousands of orphans in distress all around the world, there are still so many children waiting and so many we could help if we had more sponsors. The '10,000 Campaign' and 'Brown Bag for Hope' initiative is just a small way people can help orphans in need of a home." He continued, "Refraining from eating out once a week helps a child find a loving family. That’s something we can all get behind."
Every year, thousands of families who want to give an orphan a loving home can't do it because the costs involved in the adoption process of $25,000 to $45,000, on average, per adoption, are so high. Approximately 1,000 families apply annually to Show Hope for adoption assistance. Show Hope Adoption Aid grants have made it possible for more than 4,000 children to come into forever families through adoption.
In addition to adoption assistance, Show Hope also helps provide medical care to orphans with special needs through their Special Care Centers. Sponsors also help support the care these children receive. To date more than 1,000 orphans with special needs have received life-giving care through these centers.
November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Following the #BrownBag4Hope movement, Show Hope will continue working in an effort to raise awareness of the need for finding loving and permanent homes for children all over the world.
