Friends,

You are invited to a time of reimagining, creative discerning, and exploring where JustHope can go in 2023 and beyond. I hope you will mark your calendar for Saturday, March 18, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Central Time. Some of us will gather in Tulsa (2900 S. Harvard Ave.), but you can join by Zoom, too. Regardless of your willingness and ability to be part of that conversation, please know that your generosity and care has changed lives in ways you may never see. Thank you for making lives healthier, making education accessible, making communities stronger, and sharing your vision through JustHope.

The past few years have been difficult: first the political crisis in 2018, then the COVID pandemic, followed by more repressive moves from the Nicaraguan government. Last year the JustHope Board reached an impasse due to new legal regulations facing all nonprofit organizations in Nicaragua and fundraising failures. The current administration is cracking down on groups that receive funds from “foreign agents,” so, our partnership with ACOPADES, the leadership network in Chacraseca became a legal and personal risk to our Nicaraguan staff and partners. 

After heartbreaking choices, we closed our bank account in Nicaragua and halted operations there to regroup. Nevertheless, some JustHope programs in Nicaragua persisted! Within the past week, we were able to get funds in the hands of partners in Chacraseca and La Flor to continue college scholarships, provide backpacks for school kids, and support programs at the cultural center. The women’s microcredit banks continue to operate, and we hope to offer at least one trip this summer. We are researching sustainable ways to support other essential projects.

Our network of partners in the U.S. is strong. Several have committed to continue financial and volunteer support. The economic situation in Nicaragua is worse now than it has been since the early 1990s. The need is great; the will to rebuild is strong. Now is the time to come together and explore new possibilities. Please plan to join us on March 18 for a day of reimagining. Registration is open at JustHope.org/imagine.

With Joy,

Kathy McCallie,
President, Board of Directors