Hoops of Hope: Shooting for the Stars

In the spring of 2004, Austin Gutwein saw a video about orphaned children who had lost their parents to AIDS. After watching the video, The nine-year-old knew these kids weren’t any different from him except in magnitude of suffering.

Austin felt God calling him to do something to help them. He decided to shoot free throws and on World AIDS Day, 2004, he shot 2,057 free throws to represent the 2,057 kids who would be orphaned during his day at school. Friends and family sponsored Austin and he was able to raise almost $3,000. That year, the money was used by World Vision to provide hope to 8 orphan children. Source.

That event was the beginning of Hoops of Hope, the world’s largest free-throw marathon. Shooting basket balls, participants raise awareness and funds for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. All funds raised by the event go directly to care for kids in highly affected areas.

BlinkNow Foundation

Kopila Valley Children's Home from maggie doyne on Vimeo.

As a  recent high school graduate, Maggie Doyne set out to see the world.  She got as far as the Himalayas and fell in love.  Hundreds of orphaned children captured her heart.  With money Maggie saved from babysitting, she bought a piece of land and had a home built for children in need of education, health care, nutrition, and love.

Her nonprofit, the BlinkNow Foundation aims to empower future leaders and end the cyclical poverty the squanders human potential. 

"The organization focuses on under-developed, war-torn countries where extreme poverty exists. These nations have high rates of illiteracy, disease, child labor, and unstable governments, thus making them the prime focus for our organization."

Find out more about Maggie's vision by visiting the BlinkNow Foundation.

Peruvian Hearts

An 11-year-old American girl was so moved by her first visit to an orphanage in Peru that she decided to start her own non-profit. Ana Dodson's Peruvian Hearts seeks to improve the quality of life for children in extreme poverty. Education, health care and nutrition are the focus. The children benefit with vitamins, school supplies, books, and clothing. Peruvian Hearts has paid for medical and dental exam. They are planning partnerships with medical missions to promote good health. 

Solar water heaters provided by the organization have made warm baths possible for the first time in the children's lives. 

Learn more about Peruvian Hearts at:  http://www.peruvianhearts.org/