January 2025: Grace Holds on to Hope
Here is another story from the Ravens Ministries waitlist: This is Grace
Grace, age 21, dreams of becoming a lawyer who will advocate for the vulnerable and the oppressed. She is going to be a terrific lawyer, but right now, she is waiting.
Grace applied for support from Ravens two years ago after she was forced to drop out of school. When tuition fees increased, her family could no longer afford to send her.
When Grace dropped out of school, she became gripped by fear and hopelessness—she felt that her dreams of becoming a lawyer were shuttered for good and she knew how many young women her age fall prey to various forms of exploitation when they find themselves without a path forward. Grace was constantly battling the stress of feeling like her path had been destroyed, leaving her lost and vulnerable.
Fortunately, when Grace applied to Ravens, though she was placed on the waitlist, she was welcomed into the community to attend the weekly youth fellowships and Bible studies.
Grace has begun to see a ray of hope from the word of God and her attitude toward life is being transformed. Her hope that she will get an opportunity to complete her education is being restored. And she is ready to work hard and then empower others through her advocacy as an attorney. Because of the Ravens community, she sees that it can happen.
Ravens believes that Grace is among those whose only hope for a stable future is in completing her education. Grace looks forward to the day her application will be approved.
How You Can Make a Difference
As of November 2024, there are 87 youth just like Grace and Nicholas on the Ravens Ministries waiting list. Each of them is waiting for the opportunity to grow beyond their circumstances:
75 are waiting for the resources to complete their basic education
12 are in need of funds to complete higher education and/or job training
18 are in need of safe and stable housing
The cost of supporting one Ravens Youth for one year is $3552, or $296 a month.
We would like to take 10 youth off of the waitlist this coming January—that means raising $35,520 in new giving.
Would you like to make a special gift to help reach that goal?
Thank you to those of you who have already gotten involved—you're making a difference for young adults like Grace and Nicholas (see December 2024 Newsletter for his story)!