NGU Skyliner

Samantha Mayo
Staff Writer

Christen Sasscer, senior outdoor leadership, found a way to show the love of Christ and do her part to alleviate poverty by selling bracelets for Threads of Hope.

Threads of Hope is a nonprofit organization founded by Christians in the Philippines in response to widespread poverty and prostitution. Threads of Hope provides at-risk Filipino families with supplies to make bracelets, then sends the bracelets to the United States where youth groups, church groups and Christians like Sasscer sell the bracelets. The proceeds from the bracelets are sent back to the Philippines and distributed among the families to provide them with a steady income.

“Threads of Hope gives a job to the women and children there who would normally be in either poverty or sell themselves into prostitution or something like that just to make enough money to put food on the table,” Sasscer said.

Threads of Hope specifically aims to help these Filipino families by providing them food, medical care and education. Through the ministry, more than 80 families have been given employment and freedom from hunger and poverty. Some families can even afford their own successful businesses after Threads of Hope helped them get on their feet.

In addition to providing employment for at risk families, Threads of Hope also has several other stated goals. Its most important goal is to share the love of Christ with the Filipino people by meeting their physical needs. Threads of Hope also endeavors to use bracelet sales in the United States to raise awareness of poverty and oppression. Additionally, the ministry tries to give Christians in the U.S. the opportunity to connect and reach out to those in need by selling the bracelets.

Christen Sasscer’s connection with Threads of Hope was formed through her sister, Rachael Sasscer. Rachael discovered Threads of Hope while she was serving at a missionary school in the Philippines for two years. When she returned to the United States, Rachael brought back a supply of Threads of Hope bracelets. Christen Sasscer began selling the bracelets on North Greenville University’s campus while her younger brother and business partner Stephen Sasscer sold bracelets at his high school in Georgia.

Christen and Stephen have continued representing Threads of Hope at their respective schools over the past three years.

Christen sells Threads of Hope bracelets for $2 apiece.

Tags: Fall 2009, Vol. 109 - Issue 11

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.