||| FROM RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA |||
East Chatham, NY—Orcas Island, WA, resident and retired general contractor who had once dedicated his life to historic home repairs/remodels for mostly low-income families, John Morris, took his passion for helping others and turned it into a mission of hope, strength, tenacity and commitment. He bought a Toyota 4-Runner, travelled from Washington State to Rhode Island and then had it shipped to Africa….it is scheduled to arrive in Liberia on March 15, 2022.
Morris was first introduced to the nonprofit organization, Restore Hope: Liberia (RHL) through an article he read in the magazine The Nation in 2020 (https://www.thenation.com/article/society/holiday-hope/) about the most critical needs around the world, including in Kolahun, Liberia, Africa. He learned that after 14 years of civil war, a decade of slow reconstruction, and the largest Ebola epidemic ever seen in Africa, Liberians continued to face the challenges of extreme poverty, illiteracy, poor health care, and malnutrition. He discovered that RHL, with Boards located in New York and Liberia, was working hard to empower communities through education, health facilities, and economic development in the rural Kolahun District. He was inspired to donate. To learn more about Restore Hope: Liberia and their mission, go to https://www.restorehopeliberia.org.
Morris recently became a member of the RHL Board and committed to monthly donations to support its mission. However, on a recent in-person visit to Liberia, he discovered a very specific problem which he was eager to solve. While traveling with two of the Founding members of Restore Hope Liberia, from the capitol city of Monrovia back to the Kolahun District, their vehicle became stuck in washed out roads and they were stranded for more than ten hours. It was then that John knew the staff at RHL needed a reliable vehicle, well-equipped for the rough terrain in order for them to conduct mission-related business outside of Kolahun.
Morris and fellow Board member, Dr. Barbara Burke, purchased a late-model, Toyota 4-Runner outfitted with all-terrain tires and loaded it with items to take back to Kolahun. Then, John began his cross-country journey from Washington State to Rhode Island (with a few stops along the way) to deliver the vehicle for its trans-Atlantic journey to Liberia. The vehicle will arrive in Africa on March 5, 2022 and will significantly help to ensure that the community of Kolahun gets all the necessary items and supplies they need.
“Anything is possible with passion and a purpose.” – John Morris
ABOUT RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA
Restore Hope; Liberia is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides relief and empowerment to the most vulnerable in post-emergency communities in Liberia through an innovative integration of health, education, and economic development, creating opportunity, changing lives and building resilient communities. Visit www.restorehopeliberia.org for more information.
