A Legacy of Love

Dear Friend of HOPE worldwide…

This time it wasn’t the slums, the smells, the poverty and pain of Kolkata, India.

Nor was it what I felt when I embraced the poor, the sick and dying in Lagos, Nigeria – a country awash in oil but short on compassion for its suffering people.

And it wasn’t a suffering Cambodia, where I’ve witnessed the results of a rampant HIV ripping apart individuals and families who once had hopes and dreams, but who now see those dreams slip away.

Not this time.

This time my heart was broken in North Philly.

This is the story of Lawrence Hines. (NOTE: you may make a donation at any time by simply clicking on any word printed in blue.)

Lawrence built a life in the rough and tumble neighborhoods of North Philadelphia. Drug dealing, violence, poverty and bad schools are the calling cards in his neighborhood.

We first met Lawrence five years ago, when he enrolled his daughter Savannah in HOPE worldwide's Saturday Academy program, located at the Winchester Center in the heart of North Philadelphia.

At first, our interactions with Lawrence were limited to a few friendly smiles as he dropped off and picked up his little girl. But eventually, Lawrence became a member of the HOPE worldwide family.

Whenever the doors of the Saturday Academy program were opened, Lawrence was there to lend a hand. If we took the children on a field trip, he was there to help chaperone the kids. Lawrence took pride in seeing Savannah develop at the Saturday Academy into a beautiful, caring young lady. However, the changes in his daughter were also being repeated in his own life and character.

His spirit of service reached a high point earlier this summer when Lawrence, at 55 years of age, chose to work in our summer youth programs as a member of AmeriCorps, our nation's federal service program,

Although the stipend for serving in the AmeriCorps program  is small, it carries with it a $1,000 scholarship that gave Lawrence a chance for a higher education.

Lawrence spent six weeks this summer living in a rural camp, serving as a mentor to kids from his North Philly neighborhood.

It was not unusual for Lawrence to stay up late into the night talking with Bob, our HOPE worldwide Chapter leader, and then wake up early to go fishing in the river with as many kids who were willing. A smile was never far from his face during the entire summer.

Lawrence was about to complete his AmeriCorps service when, shockingly, he died from a massive heart attack on July 29, 2009.

His unexpected and untimely passing brought into bright clarity the impact his years of volunteer service through HOPE worldwide had made on his life and those around him.

Many of the HOPE worldwide staff attended the vigil for Lawrence - along with neighbors and the children Lawrence had so touched with his caring life. They heard story after story of the power of one man who chose to put self aside to make a difference in the lives of others.

Right now, our staff is appealing to AmeriCorps to transfer Lawrence's scholarship to Savannah.

Again. . . this story is not about the human pain in India, Nigeria or Cambodia. Nor did it happen in one of the hundreds of other difficult places where HOPE worldwide is meeting the needs of the poor around the world.
It happened in North Philly, where HOPE worldwide continues to be active in the lives of people in need. This is where Lawrence chose to be a positive influence in an atmosphere of hate, crime and drugs.

It’s also a story of compassion repeated again and again in communities like yours and around the world where HOPE worldwide serves the poor.

So here’s my challenge to you. Keep exercising your power of one in your community. May today and every day be your turn and mine to bring help, hope and healing to those who suffer in our own backyards.
    
God bless,


Randy Jordan

PS. These are challenging times for HOPE worldwide financially. We need your support more than ever. To give your donation to alleviate the suffering of people here at home or wherever HOPE worldwide is on the ground click here. May God bless you for being a blessing to others. Your donation changes lives!