New Land and Building Project
We're getting very excited as we get closer to the construction of our new four story facility with a multi-purpose room. We have miraculously secured a building site in the Qi-Gu District Tainan, Taiwan. The photos to the left shows our board members touring the building site. See more photos of our ground breaking and our "Home Plus Hope" project history below.
Won't you prayerfully consider helping us make our new Training Center become a reality with your tax deductible donations to our HOME PLUS HOPE campaign. Go to our DONATE page and learn how your financial gifts will be doubled, for a limited time only, thanks to a matching grant that we recently received from a U.S. donor.
GOD is providing and GOD is good!
Groundbreaking ceremony.
Renderings of our new facility and multi-purpose room.
Original building
was leased rent-free in January 2012 for five years.
This is the same building after a total remodel now
The Bedwell Home.
PRAISE GOD, WE'RE OVER 2/3rds OF THE WAY TO REACHING OUR GOAL.
Our Home Plus Hope fund raising goal for our new building project is USD $2.4 million. As of December, 2022 we have raised over $1.5 million.
Home Plus Hope Project History
In 2011, a former Ray of Hope client visited us to tell the ROH staff she was going back into prostitution because she had no money and nowhere to live. The Mama's Caring Home only had room for four unwed mothers. They are allowed to stay one month after giving birth for their Zuo yuezi or "sitting the month," which has been practiced by new mothers in Chinese cultures for 2,000 years.
After that month, if new clients were waiting to move in, ROH had nowhere for the former birth moms to stay. We knew we needed a larger building. This sad story caused Director Juanita to present the board with an option to rent more space until we could raise the funds necessary to build and they all agreed. A newsletter was written, asking people to help us look for land. One of our volunteers gave the newsletter to her friend, Mr. Zhong, a retired government employee.
Mr. Zhong was touched that an American missionary would come and serve his Taiwanese people freely when he had a large building sitting empty for the past ten years. He agreed to a five year rent-free lease, which was signed starting January, 2012 through December, 2016. Fundraising events took place, a training center was designed, it was remodeled, and the Bedwell Home Open House was held on September 9, 2012.
A new rental contract for $1,000 USD monthly was signed for 2017 through 2019. We have continued raising funds since 2012 to build our own training center. This was a vision Director Juanita had in 2009 that founding director Susan Thompson also verified she had when Ray of Hope first began in 1999.
In August, 2018 Ray of Hope was able to pay in full for the land in An-Nan District, Tainan, Taiwan. It is in the countryside, where it is just beginning to be built up with many large factories and businesses. The ROH board agreed it is in a great area that will grow. At present, the new three story training center ihas been designed and our ground breaking ceremony was held on Saturday, June 22nd at 10:00am during ROH's 20 year anniversary celebration.
Our goal is to move our thrift store, bakery, offices, training area/chapel, and clients to the new building. We plan to also add a coffee shop, vegetable and flower gardens, along with fruit trees. Our clients will be trained in these different job settings. The convenience of us all being in ONE building, instead of three, will save on staff/volunteers needed, as well as the $1,000 monthly rental fee for the current Bedwell Home.
God's blessings to you.
Pastor Juanita