Hanna Firstenberger, Back2Back staff, held a bucket of water in one hand and a tangerine in the other. She smiled at the faces gathered around her on the floor as she dropped the tangerine into the water. They watched together as it floated to the surface. “Why did it float?” she asked her class, and… Read more
The island in the middle of the kitchen and the round, white tables just outside it are becoming sacred ground. What was once simply a church in Price Hill has become a gathering space for children after school to play games, eat food prepared specifically for them, and to connect with both their peers and… Read more
The normally bright room has the curtains drawn, an overhead projector is running. Each teen sits in front of their own laptop, as they navigate learning a new computer program called Microsoft Word. In late January, Lucson Jeannot, Back2Back staff, kicked off a computer programming class for the Hope Education Program students. He saw early… Read more
The children stood in a line behind Rick and Lisa Bursey as they waited to cross the road. Their eyes were wide, taking in the busy street, the different colors of cars, and the random stray dogs that sauntered past them. “Look!” “Check this out!” “Oh, wow!” bursted from their mouths as they waited, as… Read more
“It is more blessed to give than receive” was a recent launch pad for two Hope Education Program students and the knowledge they’ve gained through school. Two young men studying Sports Science put their skills to the test, leading a lesson on the importance of flexibility in children and teens for a local children’s home…. Read more
I am Luna, 10-years old and for a long time, I lived in a children’s home. It was loud, and we shared everything, from clothes to rooms. I felt safe, but sometimes overwhelmed by all the noise. Now, I live in a quiet home with my foster parents. There’s a soccer goal in the backyard,… Read more
For six women on the India Hope Campus, every day is a new adventure in providing holistic care to vulnerable children. Each of the women goes beyond the roles of preparing meals, helping with homework, and keeping each child on task; they also provide emotional and social support, stepping into familial-like roles. Caregivers and the… Read more
For many students in the developed world, education can feel like an obligation. It is a means to get a job, to live on your own, to seek and gain success. For those in still developing countries, education is often seen as a privilege. Gender, economic status, geography, and safety for the poor, the marginalized,… Read more
Before the global pandemic hit the United States, and then the world, Back2Back staff in the D.R. were leading partnering organizations’ staff in Nurture Groups – a safe space for vulnerable populations to learn how to regulate their emotions/feelings and the power of their voices. Hope and Cheque Garcia, Back2Back staff and D.R. Co-Directors, left… Read more
“I never knew how much my daughter was capable of, now I can dream for her!” The teary-eyed mother looked hopeful and grateful as Back2Back D.R. staff shared about her daughter’s progress. An 18-year old, Haitian girl named Amelia* and her mother came to the Dominican Republic many years ago. From a vulnerable background and… Read more