This Giving Tuesday, join us in providing a minibus for The JOY Home Day Center for special needs orphans. This week, we began accepting children, giving them a place where they they can experience hope and healing through individualized care and therapy. However, we can only reliably transport 3 children at a time, and bringing children in wheelchairs adds more complications. All money donated will go directly to purchasing a used transit van, and every gift is appreciated.
We currently don't have a consistent way of transporting children from their group homes to the JOY Home Day Center in Bitola, Macedonia. Currently, we are using the founder's personal van, which is great but it is not wheelchair compatible, and can only transport 3 children at a time, with their large carseats and boosters, and folding wheelchairs.
By purchasing a used transit van, we will not only be able to carry more kids, but also fit wheelchairs. Additionally, having a dedicated Lighthouse of Hope van would allow us more capacity to help when and where we are needed, rather than having to plan around our current limitations.
The real long-term impact comes not from the van itself, but rather what we are using it for. The JOY Home Day Center is a place where special needs orphans can get outdoor play in a beautiful environment, time with our emotional support dogs, receive 1-on-1 physical therapy, and be loved and told they matter while developing meaningful attachments. The long term good this will do is beyond quantification, as sensory exposure and relationships are vital in healthy development.
