We wanted to extend a personal and unique note of thanks to all the sailors, Marines, diplomatic staff, and the families based over in Yokosuka, Japan, who have contributed to the Religious Offering Fund in support of Hilltop Children’s House!
You all already give so much to us, offering your selves in service to our country; to see such financial generosity on top of that truly is motivating!
Through our work here in Steubenville we hope to help as many children as possible to have brighter futures. So many children in our neighborhood come from broken homes. Our neighborhood sees more than its share of crime—drugs, human trafficking, domestic violence, gang activity—and those who bear the brunt of it all the most are the most innocent of all, the children. Our hope is that through the Montessori approach to learning and growth, the children who come through Hilltop Children’s House will be more prepared to break out of the cycle of poverty and dysfunction.
Your contributions have helped and will help with the following:
- enable us to put a fence around the back yard so we can include outdoor activities like gardening;
- seek an assistant to help Noëlle in the children’s house, so her efforts can be more effectively channeled;
- acquire more materials for the many works the children can choose among;
- help us keep the utilities paid.
Eventually we intend to offer a full-day program from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., but that will require enough funding to pay a full-time teacher (at present, Noëlle covers the morning session 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. on a completely volunteer basis).
So thank you, most sincerely, for your service, and for your generosity to this little mission in a rough neighborhood on the other side of the globe. You will remain in our prayers, please pray for us as well.
Tom and Noëlle Crowe