“…Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”
John 15:2b
“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” John D. Rockefeller
Special Hope is grateful for the generous donations and trust given to us by our donors on behalf of Zambian children with intellectual disabilities and their families. We want to be faithful stewards of what our donors entrust to us, and to that end, our Board and management team conducted a Strategy Alignment exercise for our 4 programs (Community Care Centers, Resource Center, Therapy Center, and Community Outreach) earlier this year. The goal of this exercise was to evaluate each program’s alignment with our mission cost effectiveness, and impact in terms of children and families served so that we invest donor-provided resources for the greatest impact for those we serve.
After conducting our evaluation, our leadership team has concluded that the Community Care Centers and Community Outreach programs are the most aligned, cost effective, and impactful programs currently operated by Special Hope. This has led to the difficult decision to close our Resource Center and Therapy Center programs by the end of 2021. This will allow us to focus our energy and resources on our most aligned, cost effective, and impactful programs.
The Resource Center and Therapy Centers have accomplished significant good during the years they have been running, and the lives of many children have been positively impacted. We thank God for the incredible efforts and love that our staff have invested in serving children through the Resource Center and Therapy Center. That being said, in order for Special Hope to faithfully fulfill its God-given calling and mission, it is necessary to prune good programs in order to be more fruitful in great programs.
As our team perseveres through the challenges of COVID, the closure of these two programs, and the increased investment in the Community Care Centers and Community Outreach programs, we are grateful for your partnership. We are committed to pursuing our calling and increased fruitfulness in the days ahead.
Ben Menenberg
Board Chair