FAQ
Why Orphans?
Duty, guilt, or idealism won’t motivate us to love orphans for the long-term. The vastness of the problem will always outstrip our enthusiasm to solve it. We must be motivated by a profound understanding of God’s grace. Because Christ stepped into our brokenness, we choose to immerse ourselves into hard and broken places to care for orphans.
What is an Orphan?
The biblical concept of the orphan and fatherless means to be bereaved of teacher, guardian, and guide. God calls His people to reflect His heart and character in choosing to “defend the cause of the fatherless” (Psalm 82:3), to “visit the orphan and widow in their distress” (James 1:27), and to “set the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6).
Frequently Asked Questions
Many of the children in our Hope Projects were in such vulnerable situations that immediate intervention was the difference between life and death. The moment a child is brought into one of our Hope Projects, we will provide more than just the basics. It is through sponsorship that the children are provided an opportunity for a future with endless possibilities. We provide complete care in these five areas of a child’s life: spiritual/character mentorship, safety/security, medical care, food/water, and education.
Each child requires $225 per month to be fully sponsored. Sponsorship levels vary and PHW will partner sponsors together until a child’s financial needs are fully met. Once the full sponsorship is met the child will no longer be available for sponsorship.
Sponsors are encouraged to view their sponsorship as a spiritual adoption of their child, treating and regarding them as one of their own. Therefore, child sponsorship through PHW is considered perpetual until your sponsored child graduates from our program or you choose to discontinue your sponsorship.
New child sponsors will receive a Sponsorship Kit in the mail that will include a welcome letter from PHW, the profile and photograph of your sponsored child and a special gift. With your sponsorship you will receive quarterly communications and photographs of your sponsored child.
- Sponsors are strongly encouraged to write to their sponsored child. Here are just a few ways to communicate with your child,
- PHW APP – Stay up to date on the latest PHW news and write to your child anytime directly from your smartphone. Get the App Project Hope Worldwide in the App Store or Google Play
- Email – You may write your child by email and attach photos at letters@projecthopeworldwide.org.
- Mail Letters/Packages – Please mail all packages (size limit: one 9×12 envelope) to our Owasso office at 12330 E 86th St N, Owasso, OK 74055.Please label each communication with your child’s PHW ID, Ex: “J06 Nora”. All correspondence will be confirmed, screened and sent in bulk electronically or delivered with the next mission team.
Send an introductory letter telling your sponsored child about you, your family and your life. Your sponsored child will love to hear all about you and see photographs of you and your family. Keep in mind that your sponsored child likely does not have many personal possessions and will not understand or be able to relate to new purchases or material possession. Gifts such as coloring books, reading books, stickers, jump ropes and small toys are always welcome.
Part of what makes PHW’s sponsorship program unique is the ability to travel to our Hope Projects and meet your sponsored child. Team Trip dates are posted on www.projecthopeworldwide.org/visit. Simply tap “Apply Today” to start your trip journey.
PHW’s 100% guarantee means that all money contributed towards a child sponsorship will be allocated for the holistic care of the orphans in our Hope Projects.
Yes, Project Hope Worldwide is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID 27-1873580). Your Partnership is 100% tax deductible and you will receive a tax statement in January each year.
Let us put our sponsorship cost into perspective. Since 1960, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided estimates of expenditures on children from birth through age 17. For the United States, the 2015 annual child rearing expense was estimated at $12,350 or $1029 per month.
The Department of Health and Human Services for 2017 estimated the annual child rearing expense for poverty level in the U.S. at $6,150 or $513 per month.
In October 2015 the World Bank defined the new international absolute poverty line at $1.90 a day or $58 per month.
You can see from the chart that PHW’s child sponsorship costs are above the Worldwide Absolute Poverty Level, well below the US Federal Poverty Level, and significantly below the cost for a typical U.S. family.
We do not want our PHW kids living at the poverty level. We want their lives to be a delight; for them to have the opportunity to flourish like our own children.
At PHW we believe that excellence honors God and inspires people. Therefore, we seek a paradigm shift away from “enough” to “excellence” that helps us view the orphaned and vulnerable children as God sees them and in the same way we view our own children…. as unique children with special God-given gifts and talents to be nurtured and developed to become all He created them to be.
The prevailing paradigm in our world today views orphans and vulnerable children as second-rate humans who somehow don’t need and deserve the same level of love and care as children in stable families and/or socioeconomic classes – they aren’t “our own” – so why should they get anything more than leftovers.
When we provide only the basic needs, the children often are undereducated and given bare-bones medical attention, nutrition, and other care. They are given no opportunity to develop their unique, God-given sets of skills and talents. Instead, they are oppressed and abused directly and indirectly (through neglect and apathy), every day of their lives. At PHW excellence has at its center someone who is willing to care for our orphans and vulnerable children as if they are their own.
PHW has been operating since 2009 and we have a detailed history of expenses for what it takes to provide excellent holistic care for each child.
Your participation at whatever level you choose is always appreciated; whether as a Partner Sponsor or a Sole Sponsor. PHW thrives through the hearts of people like you who want to maximize the impact of their lives and leave an eternal legacy by providing a living illustration of the gospel thru the care of orphans and vulnerable children throughout the world.
7768 N Owasso Expressway, Owasso, OK 74055. Our headquarters is in Owasso, OK, but we also have locations in Nicaragua, Uganda, and Mexico.
Project Hope Worldwide provides holistic care for orphaned and vulnerable children in Nicaragua, Uganda, and Mexico.
Our social workers meet families through a variety of ways including local soup kitchens, visiting with local village leaders, and in cooperation with local schools.
Some of our PHW children are orphans, but not all of them. Some children come from single-parent homes and others are classified as social orphans. Social orphans are children who have been abandoned by one or both of their parents.
Yes. Gifts must fit in a manila envelope. Please do not seal the envelope, as these gifts must be cataloged and placed in our team member’s luggage. Space is very limited!
You can also donate online, so your sponsored child can pick out something they want or need from a local store. Please limit your gift donation to no more than $25. When you donate, please write in the comments section that your donation is a gift for a sponsored child and provide their PHW ID.
You can pay for your trip on the donation page. Clarify in the donation note which trip you are attending and select “short-term mission trip” in the designation.
Our main focus is to share Christ’s love with our staff, children, and local communities. Each trip is tailored to the giftedness of the team members. Do you have a gift or skill that you want to share? Please contact our missions coordinator and see where you can best serve!
We always need volunteers to help at our events. You can fill out our volunteer information form here.
You can mail cards and letters to our office: Project Hope Worldwide PO Box 845 Owasso, OK 74055 or email letters@projecthopeworldwide.org. Please make sure all communication is clearly marked with your sponsored child’s PHW ID number.
Most students age out of the program after they have completed high school and trade school. Some students go on to university. When a student graduates and is ready to move on, they are given a resettlement package that includes the tools they will need to work in their desired trade and key household items.
Occasionally, children leave the project before the age of 18. This is typically due to families moving or circumstances in the household changing so they no longer need our assistance. When changes like this happen, sponsors are notified and given the opportunity to transfer their sponsorship to another child in need.
100% of all sponsorship dollars go directly to care for the children in our program. Holistic care through our program includes spiritual/character mentorship, safety, medical, food, clean water, and education.
Project Hope Worldwide values transparency and offers financials upon request. Please submit your request to info@projecthopeworldwide.org