Photo courtesy of Manyang Reath Kher
Manyang Reath Kher at Kule, a refugee camp in Ethiopia
Humanity Helping Sudan Project
Manyang Reath Kher came to the United States in 2005 from Ethiopia. One of the “lost boys” of Sudan (the name given to more than 20,000 children, mostly boys, who were separated from their families in the war-torn nation), he knew he wanted to help his brethren back home. “My goal is to try and see if we can start something that can help them help themselves,” says Kher, a Richmond resident. Founded in 2008, the Humanity Helping Sudan Project initially raised money to purchase 120 fishing nets for refugees in Ethiopia. The next year, the organization assisted in fixing a broken well and provided an additional 160 nets. In addition to assisting refugees, the nonprofit works to raise awareness about the plight of the Sudanese. Kher says that by the end of 2014, an estimated 50,000 refugee children were in need of food; the organization started an ongoing campaign, #Feed50K, to prevent additional starvation deaths. Humanity Helping Sudan’s largest programs are the fishing nets and community gardening so that the refugees can grow their own food. “If we’re doing our job right, in 10 years we won’t exist,” says Eric Prince, president of the operations team. humanityhelping sudanproject.org
Photo by Tommy McPhail / Big Spoon Agency
Case for Hope
As a child, Michele Jones moved often with her family. However, her mother always made sure that she had a bag of her own in which to pack her personal belongings; that bag was a source of comfort as her surroundings changed. So when she read that most children in foster care travel with their things in a garbage bag, she knew she needed to do something. With assistance from Jeanine Harper of Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now), Case for Hope was born last May. Jones’ first drive collected about 120 pieces of luggage. Her second drive collected more than 480 bags. This past Christmas, Jones, co-owner of the Pasture restaurants in Charlottesville and Richmond, partnered with a local company to distribute gift cards to foster children 14 and older. She also would like to provide other supplies to foster children, offer free tutoring and perhaps open a small restaurant to help support the project; she’d even like to be a foster parent herself one day. “Hopefully [foster kids] … find their perfect-match home and they don’t have to pack it up again, but the idea that if they did, they could do it and not have to carry [their things] in a garbage bag — it’s enough for me.” acaseforhope.org
Photo courtesy of Collegiate School
SEW for SOS
After breaking his arm early last year, Collegiate School student Luke Tyson was unable to participate in physical education classes and recess. Instead, he spent time in the library while his arm healed. “After I got through that, my desire to uplift other people who are going through their own slumps sort of inspired me to start the project,” Tyson, now 13 and in seventh grade, says of SEW for SOS. With the help of other students, he began to create small pillows that include an inspirational message to help those going through rough times. About 50 student volunteers sew the pillows using donated fabric and supplies. The pillows are sent to hospital patients, military veterans and people affected by depression, and can be requested online. So far, more than 600 pillows have been sent out, and Tyson hopes to expand the project to other schools. With the support of librarian Carolyn LaMontagne, he has raised money for the project through the website Sponsr.Us and received a $1,000 award from the Youth Service Association to help cover costs. sewforsos.org
Photo by Cindy Martin Design
Hay Day Ranch
Goochland County resident Susan Clark came up with the idea for Hay Day Ranch about three years ago, after adopting her daughter, Elena, from Russia at age 9. Elena was having problems adjusting to life in the United States. After trying traditional therapy, Clark found Wings of Hope Ranch near Montpelier, and noticed a significant improvement in Elena as she worked with the horses. Clark then based her own model of equine-assisted therapy for children after Wings of Hope. Clark, who is also a gifted resource teacher with Henrico County Public Schools, says she started thinking, “What about those kids who have potential, but they’re not able to reach it, because teachers are not keying into their area of giftedness, or they can’t engage them because of some emotionality or some inner conflict … what do you do?” The answer was Hay Day. For Clark, it’s about more than riding horses. She wants children to learn how to lead and care for the animals and become attuned to their needs. There are currently two sessions a year (the next one runs from March 10 to April 27). haydayranch.com
