| Country / Region: | Santiago, Chile |
|---|---|
| Project Summary: | Feeding center for people struggling with alcoholism, meeting room especially for youth, skill training workshops for locals, and a library. |
Partner Overview
Fuente de Vida is a young, vibrant church located in a very poor area of Santiago, Chile. The pastor, has planted a church that is attracting youth in the area and giving them an alternative to the drugs and crime that are very prevalent in the community. Bright Hope is partnering with Fuente de Vida to combat poverty in their community with a program that provides a feeding center for 40 people struggling with alcoholism and other problems, an entertainment/special meeting room especially for youth, skill training workshops for local people, and a library.
Oct 2011 Update
A feeding center was built next to the church building in February. It opened in May, when 12 adults attended and received a hot meal. They were all homeless and had problems with alcoholism. Two days later, the center was again opened to give a hot lunch to 30 children who had been invited by members of the church due to their families' difficult economic circumstances. Approximately 25 of the initial 30 children were not part of the church and the only meals that many of them ate on a regular basis were lunches provided by their schools during the week.
After the inauguration of the feeding center in May, the adults continued to come every Thursday evening, while the children also met every week on Saturday lunchtimes. A team from the church committed to running the center, which involved the planning and buying of all food and equipment, the preparation of meals and spending time with those attending each week. A word from the Bible and a time of prayer are also part of the weekly events.
The center has also been used throughout the year for youth and prayer meetings and contains the donated computers which are used by local young people for homework, a ministry which is hoped to be expanded during 2011.
