'Tis the Season of Gratitude!
Hello <<First Name>>,
It is finally here - one of the best seasons of the year and we are so grateful to celebrate with you all of the wonderful things we’ve been a part of, together! For Hope Speaks, this is a time spent in joyous thanksgiving, festive appreciation of a year gone by, and hopeful anticipation of the year to come.
Today especially, when our focus is on gratitude, we can’t help but honor and acknowledge those who have been an instrumental part of all that Hope Speaks is doing. This year you, our donors, have given to ensure our mandate to provide free, high quality speech and language therapy continues to thrive. Our supporters have ensured that families in our programs do not go without food. People around the globe have given above and beyond to provide thousands of dollars towards life-saving medical care.
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While there is always more to be done, we are overjoyed with what HAS been accomplished this year. Despite on-going lockdowns, the ever present COVID situation, rapid inflation, political unrest and terrorist threats, 2021 has been a year of peace. Yes, peace. The overwhelming peace that comes with knowing that we are in the right place, at the right time, for the right purpose. Because, despite all of the above, our therapists have continued to provide therapy, our social workers have continued to provide care in the community, and our team has continued to thrive.
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Your faithful and continued giving has meant that our staff can be a hope-giving, continuous presence in our communities. Your special event giving has meant that we’ve been able to support families in their special needs, covering rent, assisting with home care and putting nutritional food packages in their hands. The giving of an entire church community meant that we could relocate to a more appropriate office and clinic space to be closer to the need and to ensure our funds are spent where they are most needed. What we are saying is that because YOU gave in so many different ways, we could give hope in all the ways it was needed most.
So, thank you. We’ve had some big needs this year, and you have met those needs in a big way. We are so, so grateful!
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Some of you may be wondering what we are doing for #GivingTuesday! Well, here’s the thing: We’ve had so many big fundraisers this year, and you have already given so much that it feels like every day has been Giving Tuesday. So, we’ve decided not to run a fundraiser for a big ticket item, rather, our ask is that you “help us finish well”. We still have our everyday and end of year needs to meet, and we want to prioritize the longevity of our work, because we are here to stay. We would love you to join us this year, either on Facebook, or via our website to help us finish 2021 well.
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We can’t wait to share with you all of the wonderful statistics and encouraging numbers at the end of the year, but for now, please know that you really have made a difference.
From the entire Hope Speaks community in Uganda,
Thank you.
Ben, Kari and the Hope Speaks Team
PS - If you have a moment, read Faridah's story below!
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“Hope Speaks came when my life was most challenging. We were living in very bad conditions, where, if it would rain, our small house would flood. The place was so bad that one day, during rainy season, my son Wasswa nearly drowned while he was sleeping on the floor. Thankfully a neighbour came and rescued him. After that, we were introduced to Hope Speaks. When they saw our living condition, they found us a new house and paid 8 month’s rent and contributed towards food and necessities. I am grateful because the house where we stay now is a beautiful house and we are not worried about the rain, floods, security, and for that I am thankful to God. May God bless them so much!
It is just my son and I - his father left not long after we found out about Wasswa’s condition. He has Cerebral Palsy and a condition that causes his bones to curve. It puts him in so much pain. We’ve struggled because I can’t work and leave him home much, but thankfully I was taught how to make liquid soap, and Hope Speaks is supporting me to make income from it.
We look forward to getting more therapy for Wasswa, and more counselling for me. We are taking him to the Hope Speaks Katanga Outreach Clinic where he is getting speech therapy. We hope one day there will be access to physiotherapy for him too! But for now, it is a miracle for us just to have a house that is closer to the places we need to go. Thank you to Hope Speaks and to you all!” - Faridah
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