KANSAS CITY, Mo. — More than 150 million children around the world are orphans. They are among the most vulnerable in our society.
But an organization right here in Kansas City is quietly changing the way orphans and foster children receive help, both here in the United States and around the world.
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The Global Orphan Project (Go Project) is one of the largest faith-based care organizations in the country. Its world headquarters is based here in the metro, in an inconspicuous building near 31st Street and Linwood Boulevard.
Go Project has quite a unique way of helping vulnerable children. It starts with helping their families and then utilizing a three-pronged approach to place children in nurturing homes and ease the orphan crisis.
According to the organization, the three-step approach is as follows:
A fair-trade apparel company that provides living-wage jobs.
A care portal that connects families and children in need with people who can help meet those needs.
A “strong family” initiative that comes alongside families in crisis, connecting them to community, job training, and resources they need to thrive.
“Our world can feel very divided, but there’s one thing we all agree on. That children should live in a loving home, right? That’s the heart of everything we do. We serve children. We do it in innovative ways. We have technology, we have fair trade apparel, we have great programs, but everything we do is for the child. That’s the goal,” said Jake Barreth, president of the Go Project.
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“I have kids. A lot of us have kids. I can’t imagine what would happen if my family fell apart. Who would care for my kids? That’s what drives everything we do.”
Since it was founded in 2003, the Go Project has served nearly 650,000 children and adults worldwide and has had an economic impact of more than $180 million.
According to its website, the organization has achieved this by breaking the orphan cycle through community, commerce and faith. This includes stabilizing families before breakdowns occur and preventing children from falling into a number of systemic tragedies, such as abuse, addiction, prison, human trafficking and more.
If you would like to learn more about Global Orphan Project, you can go to goproject.org.
The organization will be hosting its annual fundraiser Saturday night at the Kauffman Center. For tickets, click here.
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