We are calling your heart! Christmas is soon and we ask you to give through Star of Hope and Tent Mission to help a child!

Be a Christmas blessing to one in need, personalized in honor of cards are available.

Visit the Christmas Shop 

Goats and chickens again, well yes of course. When you and your family participate this year in our mostly “Pay it Forward” gift program, you become a “Star of Hope". Together, with your help, we can impact lives around the world. This year the pandemic has created a situation that our 50 years of helping children have never seen. The Men women and children we help are much worse off than the poorest here at home. Our kids are in a bad place due to Covid but you and your family can be a light of hope and a blessing, just a simple gift will shatter their darkness.

This year's catalog is different, most all items are specifically designed to fight the lingering effects of the pandemic. We now ask you to act, do one of 3 things please:

1. Visit the Web Shop

2 Print Legal size Catalog and take it to your church for insertion into the bulletin.  

3. Print 1-page (2up) Letter size Catalog and give 1 page to a few friends.

Star of Hope and Tent Mission, a 50-year-old organization has the aim to help children far away with their lives right now by giving them hope and the message of love from the Gospel of Christ.

The pandemic has reduced our income drastically. To provide just the basic needs like food, water, and evangelization to our 20,000 kids and their families is a strain. We want to still do Christmas for the children. We are hoping you through this Christmas campaign, will fill in the gaps to provide a year-end surprise to the children. You can make it a reality.

Providing bible-based missions to marginalized children is so very vital to who we are as Christians. It is our mandate, a biblical mandate as well. If work of this sort stops due to the Pandemic how will the lost hear the Gospel?

Send your bread across the water? We are facilitating you sending your bread (gift) to them. Not prosperity by any means, though; Ecclesiastes 11:1 & Galatians 6:9 show us clearly to send it. I usually think, time, talent, or treasure.
This work is what we at Star of Hope and Tent Mission do, missions as directed by scripture. We ask and need your help; every single gift is precious.

Thank you and Blessings to you and the Church body.
For the kids I ask you, please say yes and visit the shop or print the catalog.

That is it you are done. Unless you want to help us distribute the catalog. If you are interested take the next step, help us distribute the 2020 Christmas catalog to like-minded people, groups, and Churches: 

Print the full catalog on letter duplex color or B&W

Christmas-Giving-Guide-2020---inlet.pdf

Christmas-Giving-Guide-2020-outside.pdf

Print on legal duplex color or B&W

Fold and combine - or send it to your printer!

Here is a mini 2 per page Christmas bulletin insert for printing.

Christmas_catalog_mini_letter_duplex_flip_short_edge_-_2_up.pdf

In the online catalog, Star of Hope works with local people groups in 14 countries to identify the greatest needs. Your donations will purchase real gifts, from goats to books, and everything in between to fill those needs.

Our own Maria Presson talks about the results, "I have seen with my own eyes the positive impact your generous giving has had on the families and communities we serve,” states Maria. “I had the privilege to travel many times to project countries at this time of year. I have met many children and families who are blessed to be recipients of Star of Hope’s support, thanks to donors like you. It is a blessing that the education programs and the “pay it forward” program are helping, and will continue to give meaning, and change lives now, and in the future.”

When our Star of Hope teams deliver these life-changing gifts to children and families, we personally witness the hope and gratitude in their eyes. Together we can create real change in the lives of children, families, and communities through your generous contributions. Thank you for giving hope, prosperity, and a future to so many in need.

Blessings and wishing you and yours a beautiful holiday season.

Maria Eriksson Presson 

COO Star of Hope

Yes, you can do more to halp[ a small child get some hope and Joy!

I think it is such a blessing to send a small gift to those who are in need this Christmas.

Need help or want printed copies, call us at 866 653 0321 

The online version is also open for all at www.starofhope.us/shop

God Bless you and yours

You might like to know how things look at our projects right now or more specifically how are the kids doing? Children and families at our projects experience life much differently than you might think. 

The Covid pandemic has made things worse for those who have less. Just like in your neighborhood, people who have more have suffered less so it goes to reason that those who had less to start with have it much worse. 

I have seen poverty and know what it means to live on a dollar a day. Not that I have but I have worked and liver in project countries entrenched with the very poor. Think for a moment who might happen if your dollar a day floats down to zero. If you have no job or allowed mobility you are in a tough place.

As Christmas approaches, we have come to grips that we will curb our standard extra Christmas giving and parties.

Our kids are hoping for a small Christmas gift and you can help, visit www.starofhope.us/shop and provide just one or more gifts to the extremely vulnerable.

Here is a short update on our project countries work and situation

. 

Argentina
There are a large number of infections and the people are being severely affected in many ways. Large parts of Argentina and Sáenz Peña are closed from time to time. Our vocational school is closed for the time being. At the preschool, distance-learning takes place. They receive homework that their parents pick up at school. This and food delivery is complicated due to many restrictions, but our team is trying. Thankfully, they can meet up to 70 families per day for such activities. Mattresses have also been distributed to the needy. After the spring campaign, we handed out winter clothes and shoes.


Belarus
Here we have relatively normal circumstances in some areas and lockdowns in others. Many meetings with parents groups and activities have been arranged normally. October’s Mother's Day was celebrated normally in Belarus, But some districts did activities for Mother's Day online.


Brazil
In Sao Paulo, our projects have been closed since last spring and have not opened back up yet. They have home activities where the teachers instruct parents via phone/videos.
In Montes Claros, the school has remained closed, but there have been some activities, such as Children's Day in mid-October.


The Philippines
School started in October, four months behind schedule. All teaching takes place remotely online. For children who do not have access to electronic equipment such as tablets or mobile phones, a "modular teaching strategy" is utilized. This means that parents can pick up the educational material at school, together with prepared worksheets. The parents can then help their children solve the tasks and return the forms to the school to have the teachers evaluate and grade them.
We arranged food distribution and homeschooling earlier in the pandemic.
On November 1, The Philippines was hit by tropical storm Goni. Thank God our schools and sponsor children were not affected. As a precautionary measure, our school in Infanta was used as a rescue center for the families who were worse off. Luckily we came away without any injuries.
A few days later, The Philippines was hit by a tropical storm Vamco. Both our schools in Taytay and Infanta were flooded. It was worse in Infanta about 50 families took refuge in our school for a few days.


Ghana
Schools are closed until January. They continue to homeschool in all projects.
We have done food distributions during the pandemic, and another one is planned before the end of the year.

Awana is planned to start up as soon as the government will allow.


Haiti
The academic year 2019-20 was significantly delayed and finally ended in October. The new school year began on November 9, about two months behind schedule.
We have accomplished food distribution a couple of times during the pandemic.
The lockdowns have hurt the more impoverished countryside people in Haiti. They have not been able to go to the markets to sell their harvest or livestock.

Awana is planned to start up as soon as the government will allow.


Kenya
Here public functions have been shut down now and then. This has created significant problems on many levels in the Mikindani slum where we work outside Mombasa. Hunger, unemployment, teenage pregnancies, and also sexual exploitation and prostitution among young girls are the greatest problems.
We have distributed food packages regularly. We have organized homeschooling.
The schools in the country have opened up gradually. First, it was higher education (high school, university, and vocational schools). Then we opened up our sewing school. After that, a couple of grades have started (grades 4 and 8 as they are the last years per educational level).
However, we have first adapted and renovated the schools.
We have also started a support group for vulnerable girls and their families in Mikindani and have distributed sanitary items to the girls.

Awana is planned to start up, but the training is delayed.


Latvia
There were shutdowns and a state of emergency at the beginning of the pandemic. The schools we support for children with disabilities were closed and the children have stayed at home.
On November 9, a new state of emergency was introduced with many more closures and restrictions. For our sponsor children, this means that the children in grades six and up stay at home.


Romania & Moldova
There have been lockdowns and restrictions, partly at the national level, somewhat at the municipal level. We have carried out home tuition and distributed food packages in our projects.
Our centers for children with various disabilities and resource centers for vulnerable children are open but with multiple restrictions.
A recent rule is that all children older than five years must wear masks at school, at our centers, and in the city. In Dimancheni, the women at our sewing school have learned to make masks that are used by the children in the project.


Russia
Here things are relatively normal. Career orientation for single mothers at Grace Center continues. Supplies have been distributed to the schools that the partner organization supports.


Trinidad
Our schools have been closed since the beginning of the pandemic. A couple of weeks ago activities and businesses have started to open up again, however, our schools are still closed.
The teachers have tried homeschooling online. However, this is very difficult because many families do not have the right equipment. We have distributed food and tried to raise the families’ morale.

Can you help with the work? https://www.starofhope.us/give

Can you give him or her a Christmas gift? https://www.starofhope.us/shop

M Presson

EMERGENCY
Flood in our schools!


Today we are forced to send you an emergency call due to the severe flood that hit our sponsored children in the Philippines.

The Philippines has been ravished by several typhoons this past week. Then typhoon Vamco smashed the islands yesterday, dumping extreme amounts of rainfall.

This rain led to floods in the eastern and southern parts of the Philippines. The largest island Luzon, where both Star of Hope, schools are located, was flooded, and much property loss has occurred.

The school located in Infanta is in the countryside and is built on a plateau. It was not flooded by typhoons. However, the students' simple homes that stood unprotected directly on the ground were flooded and damaged. The kids are in the first to sixth grade. So much is lost!

Our head of operations in the Philippines, Gani Coruña, has given us the following status report via a swaying telephone line:
“The school in Infanta has functioned as an evacuation center for about 50 families and helped them escape the muddy, waist-deep water. Based on the circumstances, everyone is fine, but the children are scared and many families' houses are more or less destroyed.”

Now, these families need all the help they can get! There is a lot of worries now due to Covid and the state of the union yet imagine our children living in this disaster with no hope. You are their hope!
Please give a gift online for food and disaster response.

Here are four ways to help:
1 - Click here to give online.

2 - Send a check to:

Star of Hope,
PO Box 427, Ellinwood Kansas, 67526

3. Pay Pal Scan - you pick the amount!

Thank you - This is so serious!

Thank you for helping the disaster victims!

Mark Presson
CEO

Thanks to you, we can report that we have executed many extra interventions this summer during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic, whether man-made or not COVID has hit the people we help with devastating effects. Yes, we are talking about the most marginalized people and communities, places where we work worldwide at Star of Hope.

Some of the larger interventions were to help the most affected populations.

In the Chaco province in the north of Argentina, we were able to give out food and blankets because they needed food desperately and their winter is the opposite of ours, and the extreme poor needed blankets and heaters. See https://www.starofhope.us/argentina/warm-distribution-in-summer

In Ghana we did huge food delivery projects, the food helped a lot of people get away from being undernourished. See https://www.starofhope.us/ghana/ghana-food-distribution-during-covid

In Haiti an enormous extra thrust of food package delivery to the most vulnerable. Also, good news for the school lunch program as extra funding came in and the kids are being fed a great school lunch. You also helped with sanitary products and education for the children. See https://www.starofhope.us/haiti/haiti-school-update-fall-2020

In Kenya, large efforts were done for food distribution and also to bring the classrooms to COVID specifications as dictated by the government. See https://www.starofhope.us/kenya/kenya-corona-rules-update-fall-2000

In Romania a lot of food deliveries to families who have children with special needs. Also, there was a reopening of a new resource center for children as well as the purchase of personal protection equipment. See https://www.starofhope.us/romania-moldova/new-center-in-husi-romania

The examples above are just some of the extra measures we were able to do this summer. Together they represent a huge amount of money and love and blessings!
You and people who are like you have done great things, be pleased, be happy knowing all the resources we gave would never, never have transpired, or even possible without you.

By the way, on top of this, the regular support programs have been ongoing. If you're part of this work God bless you and thank you so much if you're not with us, consider being a part of the family of hope, getting involved is easy and then it is easy to change a life.

Join us Join the family

How would it go if risk groups and the sick sleep in the same room?
Or if each mask costs a daily salary?
With examples from three continents, we want to describe how the corona pandemic affects our children and those they love.

Imagine you are a dad
in the Kenyan slum off Mombasa. You never got to go to school, and therefore get no job, but early every morning you walk into the city and offer your help to anyone who needs extra workforce. This is how most in your area provide for themselves. You groan and sweat day after day, scraping together just enough money for the kids to get food. Suddenly, a pandemic erupts. No one is allowed to leave the home without a mask. They cost $2 each and can only be used once. You rarely earn more than $2 a whole day.
How should your children get food now?

Imagine that you are a grandmother
in a Romanian village. You take care of six grandchildren while your daughter and her husband are begging abroad. You and your grandchildren live on the small change your daughter sends home - but suddenly the money stops coming. Your daughter and son-in-law have been quarantined can't move or work. At the same time, all schools are closed and a curfew is imposed. You belong to the high-risk group and should isolate yourself. Instead, you are now crowded with six grandchildren in the single room of the home.
What do you feel when the food has run out and the kids start coughing?

Imagine you are a little girl in Haiti.
People say the pandemic does not affect children, but you know they are wrong. You, that child, feels it in your stomach. For you, the school lunch was the only real meal of the day. Now, when the school is closed, you go hungry. 70 percent of Haiti's people live just like you; young and old together, on average, seven people in the same room, without electricity and without water to wash their hands with. If your parents stay home for a single day, they can't afford food that night. When they think you've fallen asleep, they whisper something sinister to each other:
"A shutdown here in Haiti will kill more than any virus can do."
You do not understand. What is about to happen? Will I die?

Imagine you are you.
You have just read about a grandmother, a father, and a daughter. You live in their situation because you know exactly what it feels like when a pandemic turns upside down in life. You've been feeling powerless for weeks, and it's a horrible feeling. You think of those affected in countries like Romania, Kenya, and Haiti. You can't do much about your situation - but you can do something about them.
Help them with food!

Who you will help, those families who overnight lost all income now food shortages remain the most crying need.
$20 is enough for a food package with important basic products such as flour, rice, and preserves.
This package sustains a five-child family for two weeks.
$35 is enough for a larger package of both food and hygiene items.
This package sustains a five-child family for almost a month.
Let's slow down the effects of the crisis before it is too late!

YES I WILL HELP - Click to give or send a Check to Star of Hope PO Box 427. Ellinwood Kansas, 67526

We are redirecting our mission focus to address the ongoing needs of food while still providing the HOPE of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Ironically coinciding with our 50th year of work. 

The 50-50 initiative aligns perfectly with the original intent of our founder Erik Gunnar Eriksson, he founded this organization 50 years ago!

50-50 brings the gospel of Christ and meets the basic needs of communities. Let us turn this colossal Covid19 crisis into a Campaign of Hope called the 50- 50 campaign.
With every dollar given to the campaign, 50% will go to provide emergency food supplies and the other 50% will go to minister the Gospel. Currently, the project managers are realigning the work to provide more food for the Star of Hope families.

Existing teams of teachers and staff are delivering bags of food to our most vulnerable population. They are using personal protective gear so when they deliver the food they can pray with the families, bless the children by telling Bible stories and lessons, singing songs, and give much hope and love. We believe that God will use this time, for His good and to bring glory to His name. Now, more than ever is the opportunity to minister the Gospel of hope, while supplying the basic needs of food.

We are truly exercising a ministry of compassion to provide for the lost, least, lonely, and most vulnerable. Please stand with us and answer the Father’s call during these most pressing times.