HCIC is a volunteer committee in the General Church Office of Outreach,
operating without church resources. Our aspiration and goal of sustainability
is eventually to garner consistent support from donors outside of the Church.
This would allow us to spin HCIC off the General Church organizationally,
setting it up as an independent, faith-based foundation.
That said, New Church people likely will always make up the core of our
support, both in spirit and in resources, and perhaps never more so than in
our first few years as we start up and attempt to prove the concept of HCIC.
We hope that, like us, you see the doctrine of charity in action in this work,
and that as a result we may rely on your support as you plan your annual
contributions to the Church, in whatever form they may take.
It is important to acknowledge up front that attempting to facilitate the
care of children in crisis situations means that HCIC likely will be operating
in environments with inherent risks. However, by establishing comprehensive
clear standards, with rigorous enforcement, we believe we can effectively
manage these risks.
The committee, in consultation with caregivers, on-the-ground
consultants, local government officials and General Church counsel, is
responsible for identifying any risks beyond the influence of available
resources. While it would be nice to rely simply on our goodwill to care for
children who need it the most, the conditions that make their need so great
contribute to the instability of their situations. Therefore, the only way to
approach development and assistance in such environments is with eyes wide
open, a solid plan for dealing with risks, and an organization that can execute.
As HCIC grows and learns we are seeking input from all of our stakeholders
on how we can continually improve.
In our inaugural project we are working hard to ensure that standards
of due diligence, documentation and accountability to all of our stakeholders
are met, despite cultural and language challenges. To set a precedent for
transparency in everything we do, our complete policies, procedures and
mission statements are posted on our website. We invite you to look through
them and to let us know if you have questions or concerns.
Through our sponsorship program we are seeking to deliver to the Rev.
Abuga the budget he needs to provide for the children’s immediate needs,
such as food, clothing and school supplies. According to his budget, we have
verified that $800 will provide all that is needed for one child for a whole year.
So far we have 32 of the 65 children in Etora sponsored – some by individuals,
some by families, some by groups of friends, and some by businesses.
In addition to finding more friends of HCIC to sponsor a child, we are
seeking Academy of the New Church and Bryn Athyn College representatives
to help organize class sponsorships of a child or group of children. We are also
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