Helping Other People Everywhere Inc. is a non-profit organization that cuts out the middleman in order to take all of its donations and selectively apply it directly to schools and other needy projects in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Doreen and husband John Johnson, founders of HOPE Inc., were guest speakers at a benefit meeting hosted by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Alpha Alpha Chapter, in the BC Renegade Room Feb. 15.
Those in attendance were welcomed to the Renegade Room amid an orchestrated rendition of “Swallowtail Jig,” a folk song performed by the Strolling Strings advanced group which is comprised of 37 student musicians, grades four through eight, from the Panama Buena Vista Union School District.
After the music, a buffet was served at 6 p.m. that cost $15 a person. The food was prepared by the culinary arts students in the BC Food and Nutrition Program.
Ali Parker, DKGSI AA’s president and prior BC cheerleader, began the business meeting with a quote from Frank Scully, “Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is?”
Various charities were discussed during the meeting including Penny Pines.
Penny Pines is a California forestry organization committed to reforesting California’s national parks. During the meeting, DKGSI AA raised $62 for Penny Pines which will be used to reforest an acre of land.
Also announced was a $350 scholarship available to a student teacher.
“Delta Kappa Gamma is a women’s educational society,” said Parker, “for aspiring teachers who want to make a difference in the world.”
After the business meeting, Parker announced their guest speaker Doreen Johnson.
Johnson, a recently retired teacher of 37 years, now commits most of her time to promoting and conducting project HOPE.
The scope of HOPE Inc. and its charities is vast and primarily caters to the many needs of children and their families in Kenya.
One of the projects that the Johnsons have undertaken is providing school uniforms for needy students in Kenya. According to Johnson, children in Kenya, by law, cannot attend school unless clothed in a uniform which the schools do not provide.
Johnson requests cloth which she uses to sew skirts for the girl students and purchases the boys uniforms as they are more difficult to make. “I have dressed over 2,000 students,” said Doreen Johnson.
The Johnsons, through HOPE Inc., have helped build two separate nursery schools as well as five permanent classrooms at Hopewell High School in Kenya.
In December 2002, the Johnsons started a program called Sponsor a Teacher. The purpose of the program is to pay the volunteer teachers at the schools in Kenya thereby providing a higher quality of education. This is accomplished using donations deducted from the paychecks of 79 generous school employees in Hanford and Lemoore, California.
Thousands of discarded school supplies have been donated to HOPE Inc. and distributed to the schools they sponsor.
A table was set up at the entrance with framed art from Kenya, including unique designs made with banana leaves. The items were available for purchase with a donation to HOPE Inc. According to Doreen Johnson, they received just under $300 in donations from the art.
According to Parker, DKGSI AA donated 200 yards of fabric, 50 books, and two boxes of miscellaneous jackets and sweaters to HOPE Inc.
The Johnsons will be returning to Kenya in May.