The day is finally here! Five years after we moved to Africa, we now have an official 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. We’ve been working for months with a banker, a lawyer, and an accountant to file all the paperwork necessary to allow us to register with the government and receive tax-free donations on behalf of the children of Malawi. I can’t say it was a fun process, but we are happy to announce that it’s done and we can get on with the business of raising those kids. This brings a few very positive changes for you, our friends and supporters.
First of all, when you give money to help the kids in the program, it goes straight to them with nothing and no one in between. There’s no more waiting to see if we got your donation, and there’s no chance it’s going to get lost among the other ministries sharing the same account—even if you forget to write it on the memo line of your check. Over the past twenty-five years we have enjoyed the oversight of some excellent churches all over the country, but managing an overseas ministry is a big job even when it’s one dimensional like this started out, feeding kids. But when that one dimension turns into the many facets involved in developing a PreK-12th grade school, that big job becomes a full time job. It’s not fair to expect any church to juggle that caliber of ministry alongside all the others they support. That’s why we’ve made it an autonomous entity with its own board of directors. Though it’s a bittersweet transition for us as we become more independent, we hope to be a source of pride and accomplishment for the many people who have helped us get to where we are today. It’s nice to be able to accept funds from a church without obliging them to manage the distribution of those funds. It’s simpler this way.
Another good change is our new name. Instead of referring to us as that family who has that ministry in Africa that feeds those kids, you can call us “HUGS for Tomorrow”. You’ve probably heard us talk about the dangers of hand outs, so it may help to think of the HUGS part as a Hand Up for Growth and Success. We like to think of each meal, each trip to the clinic, each set of clothes, and each lesson we teach these kids as a hug that will carry them into a bright future—HUGS for Tomorrow. Besides, Hand Outs for tomorrow would be HOGS and that doesn’t really work, does it?
The most practical change you need to know about is our new address, which I’ll share at the bottom of this article. Even though we live in Nebraska now, we’re keeping the nonprofit registered in Texas. We loved working with the secretary from our last church so much that we hired her to work for HUGS. John, along with his new job at York College, will remain the director of HUGS and I’ll keep writing and posting pictures and videos to keep you informed. We want you to know that without your overwhelming support we would have no reason to go this route. Because of you, HUGS for Tomorrow exists and will serve some of the most precious, most forgotten children in the world for years to come. God bless you for your generosity and for your prayers.
Now, we need some mail so go ahead and try out our new contact information:
HUGS for Tomorrow
P.O. Box 1816
Azle, Texas 76098
Or make a tax-deductible PayPal donation here.
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