School on Wheels
School on Wheels began in 1993 when Agnes Stevens, a retired teacher, read a book that changed her life. The book was about homeless families in the US. Agnes was shocked to learn that hundreds of thousands of children were homeless and that many of them did not attend school. She began teaching homeless kids in a park in Santa Monica, California encouraging them to stay in school and keep up with their grades and school activities.
Today, hundreds of volunteers work one-on-one with children whose homelessness prevents them from getting the academic stability and help they so desperately need. The heart of the School on Wheels’ programs are the volunteer tutors who come from all backgrounds and professions, with one agenda only – to reach out to a child, to mentor them, and assist in their educational life.
Beacon of Hope
Beacon of Hope is a Non-Profit Organization located in the outskirts of Maputo in Mozambique. The founder, Angie Wheeler, went to Africa as a volunteer to work in a health center. While there, she noticed that many of the young male citizens just roamed the streets all day long, taking no responsibility for their own lives. Angie decided to provide them with shelter, food, schooling fees, clothing, and transportation. Her hope is to make available the proper education that will further engender a capacity to provide for themselves.
Handing Out Hope aims to provide livestock and agricultural projects for Beacon of Hope Youth Center. This will open up job opportunities and teach the young men a trade such as harvesting or breeding. This will give them the ability to provide for their own clothing, food, and education, while at the same time promote the attitude of being responsible and taking a more active role in their own lives. By removing its financial burden, this project would allow for Beacon of Hope to accomplish it mission and continue to help young people at its facility indefinitely.
Antipolo City Gates Orphanage and School
Handing Out Hope is sponsoring the elementary education of orphans at City Gates School for Gifted Children, in Antipolo City, a suburb of the capital city of Manila, Philippines. The school offers a well-rounded educational program for the children, which includes an organized music program that teaches them a variety of instruments.
Some of the children attending City Gates School have no parents, while others have parents who cannot afford their child’s education. The goal is to sponsor the children’s education for a year or more. However, the school has an immediate need for supplies such as backpacks, pencils, art supplies, paper, and uniforms.