Impact Updates from Around the World - June
Take a quick trip around the world with us and catch a glimpse of what God is doing through One Collective communities.
Ukraine
Amid Ukraine’s ongoing challenges, a beacon of hope is taking shape. One of our Transform Uzhhorod Alliance partners hired One Collective’s STUD Frame Homes to construct an orphan home that will soon provide loving care for 8-10 orphaned children with special needs. In Ukraine, the most common residential construction method utilizes concrete blocks. STUD Frame Homes uses post-frame, all-wood construction that solves many of the sourcing problems currently impeding rebuilding efforts across Ukraine. Ukraine is gradually dismantling a Soviet-era institutional orphanage system with the hopes of moving toward a social services type of care for children. In the meantime there are approximately 740+ orphanages with 105,000 children in care. We’re thrilled to share how your generosity has enabled us to partner in bringing hope to some of the most vulnerable children in a nation still healing from war.
Learn more about our home building business here: VF Page
Ecuador
End Slavery Ecuador - a ministry within One Collective in Quito - ministers to women in prostitution. In March they partnered with an organization to offer a free eye clinic for the women participating in their Amadas program.
In total 105 children had their eyes and checked and 86 received free glasses. One mother told us her daughter had been struggling to see the whiteboard in class, but with her new glasses, she could finally follow along with confidence.
Moments like these allow our team to build deeper connections—checking in with the women, hearing their needs, and praying together. We are thankful for how God uses these physical blessings to open doors for spiritual conversations. Our prayer is that these children now see more clearly in both body and spirit—and that through every Christ-centered interaction, each family comes to know more fully the goodness and promises of God.
Kenya
The Tumaini community in Kenya is launching a new sewing ministry called “Threads of Hope”. Tumaini means hope in Swahili which lead to the naming of the group. The first group will be 5 women from a variety of backgrounds that include single mothers and widows.
This is a holistic ministry and will teaching the women how to sew, discipling them via Bible studies & prayer groups, as well as life skills training in personal budgeting & finance, and in various healthcare related topics such as nutrition, mental health, and sexual health. The program will last 9 months. The goal is to create opportunity, income, and contribute to the larger transformation of the community.
God has provided the capital injection needed to kick start the program. They have refurbished an old barn to become the workshop and have purchased sewing machines and equipment. Through a God-ordained meeting, Catalyst Emily met a woman named Sheila who will be hired as the sewing instructor. They will initially be making school uniforms in their local community because those are currently supplied from out of town.
Greece
The team in Athens celebrated Easter, known as “Pascha”. Easter is the most sacred and cherished holiday of the year for Orthodox Greeks. Traditions include a lamb spit roast where friends and family gather to roast lamb over an open fire. Andrew Larson, Catalyst in Athens said
“There are special church services the entire week leading up to Easter Sunday. My favorite service is when everyone gathers Saturday night (just before midnight) at their local churches, there's a short service, and then everyone lights candles and walks home with them. It is such a beautiful experience!” Many cities in Greece celebrate the resurrection with fireworks at midnight.
Field Deployments
This past February One Collective hosted our internal Access training that new field staff attend before their final field deployment.
We had 19 people representing 12 different communities with One Collective. 12 of them have officially transitioned to their new roles serving in: Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Middle East, Spain, Albania, Nicaragua, Central Asia, and the Chicago area (Elgin).
These are just a few snapshots of what God is doing across the globe. Thanks so much for reading!
Lindsey Vanzant
Global Giving Advisor
Lindsey serves as the Global Giving Advisor for One Collective, where her primary focus is to coach financial supporters by connecting their goals, experiences and passions to the work God is doing on the front lines in communities where One Collective serves around the world.
Prior to joining One Collective, Lindsey spent 15 years in various business development and account management roles with Rubbermaid Commercial Products where she most recently led the healthcare division. For the past 11 years, Lindsey has led a local ministry support group for young moms with unplanned pregnancies alongside her local church.
Lindsey lives in Indiana with her husband and four children and loves to travel, explore new places, meet new people, cheer on Hoosier basketball, grow flowers, and spend time with family and friends.
