I consider myself blessed for many different reasons - my children, my husband, my family and friends, my health, just to name a few. I am so very grateful for them all. However, one of the blessings I am most grateful for is the job that I get to do every day. People always ask me how or why I started Restore Humanity, now almost 20 years ago, and the simplest answer is that a volunteer trip to South Africa in 2005 turned my world upside down. 

South Africa raised me in so many ways; it certainly turned me into an adult. Although I was technically one when I arrived, I really didn't know much about the world or the immense suffering that so many people endured. While bearing witness to the daily reality of pain in the world, I was also introduced to true heroes—people with the strength, compassion, and commitment to wake up every single day and work to make things better. It was my crash course in not just learning about true suffering, but also learning how to effectively respond to this reality with dignity, grace, and hope.

When I returned to Arkansas, I started sharing my experiences in South Africa with our community, and the response was a resounding “Well, what are we going to do?” It was then that I started to realize that I could be the bridge. I knew people who needed help and people who wanted to help, and all either needed was a connection to make it happen. That is essentially how Restore Humanity was born. 

Connecting people in need in South Africa with generous folks in NWA who wanted to help was only the beginning. In 2007, another incredible opportunity to be a bridge came my way, but now I would be connected with an amazing Kenyan woman who was also a bridge to her home community. Mrs. Opot and I came together to become this bascule bridge (drawbridge), with each side supporting and dependent on the other. Together, we founded the JCO Children's Home and have been able to accomplish so much more since then. Together, we connect Sirembe, Kenya, and Northwest Arkansas, thereby creating a beautiful global family between us. 

Being the bridge gives me a unique vantage point. My job is primarily helping to solve problems in the world by connecting people. While I have seen difficult things, maybe more up close and personal than your average American, I also get to see just how many generous and loving people there are out there. Let me assure you, there are far more of us than you think.

We are a small organization and operate without a lot of fanfare, so usually people support us because they truly believe in the work we do. Year after year, I am inspired anew to see how many people in our NWA Community deeply care about the lives of people they'll likely never meet in Sirembe, Kenya. What I see is humanity at its finest. 

Our Winetopia event is such a beautiful gathering, a perfect example of just how much love and generosity permeate our community. It is a real showcase of everything and everyone awesome in NWA. From our volunteers, to our sponsors, to our Hosts, to our auction donors–it is truly a community effort, and I am deeply moved every single year by how much this community wants to help. People give what they can, often when they don't have much themselves, and that might be the most inspiring thing of all. 

Recently, our NWA community showed extraordinary generosity through our Two Communities campaign. The level of support was unlike anything we've seen before, and it made a meaningful difference across every part of our work.

Through this campaign, supporters came together to raise $100,000, enabling us to expand educational opportunities for hundreds of Kenyan students, support the construction of a third-grade classroom at RH Academy, and—most importantly—help to sustain our core programs: the JCO Children's Home and RH Scholars, which provide all-encompassing care and long-term educational support for the children we serve. 

It was exciting and beautiful to see the enthusiasm and support from our loyal donor base and even new donors! Every donation from $25 to $10,000 makes an impact and allows us to continue the work we are doing. Y'all are awesome, and we really appreciate it!

I am so blessed to be a bridge between these two amazing communities. I see how deep and lasting this relationship has become, and we will be sharing more in the coming months about all the good work we have been able to do because of you! Thank you for supporting this ongoing restoration of humanity on both sides of the globe. 

With Love & Gratitude,

 

Sarah Fennel Buchanan

Founder/CEO

Restore Humanity

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