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Esperanca raises more than $68,000 from first virtual Hope Breakfast

Posted 5/26/20

When it became apparent that large group gatherings were not advisable for the foreseeable future, the staff and volunteers at Esperança quickly adjusted plans for its Hope Breakfast, turning …

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Esperanca raises more than $68,000 from first virtual Hope Breakfast

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When it became apparent that large group gatherings were not advisable for the foreseeable future, the staff and volunteers at Esperança quickly adjusted plans for its Hope Breakfast, turning the 10th annual in-person breakfast into a virtual online morning gathering.

“Our annual Hope Breakfast is our largest fundraising event of the year,” said Jeri Royce, Esperança’s president and CEO, in a prepared statement. “Canceling it was not an option, so we knew we had to make the shift to an online event.”

A location was secured at Galvanize, a co-working location in downtown Phoenix, to serve as the broadcast site for the event.

The four speakers --- Ms. Royce, Domestic Program Director Maria Valenzuela, Esperança Board Member David Schlinkert, Mayo Clinic Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist Michelle Abrams, and Scott Hanson of HMA Public Relations, who served as the emcee --- were able to easily stay physically distant while sharing the important messages of the organization, this year celebrating its 50th anniversary.

More than 250 guests logged in from over 20 states to the 35-minute event, raising nearly $68,500. Guests were asked to take a selfie with their breakfast using the hashtag #HBShareYourCup when posting on social media to showcase how they were participating in the event despite not being able to be physically present together.

Ms. Abrams, one of the speakers and an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist at Mayo Clinic, gave a powerful account of her volunteer mission work with Esperança in Ecuador.

“As I prepared for the surgical mission, I was told ‘stick with the basics’ and it took me some time to figure out the enormity of that statement,” said Ms. Abrams. “While the surgeons performed life-transforming operations, I supported the basics by teaching every patient and nurse to ‘reach for the stars’ and pretend to be Superman to control their swelling. Now, I know that those basics they learned will help them with future injuries, surgeries and beyond.”

As planning had begun for the in-person event prior to COVID-19, there were some elements that could not be transferred to this new platform.

“We were unable to get our catering deposit refunded. So instead, we worked with Santa Barbara Catering, our caterer, and were able to provide four to five days worth of groceries for seniors living in HUD housing,” said Ms. Royce. “We were thrilled that we could do this for the participants in our domestic program who are especially vulnerable during this time.”

The funds raised from this year’s Hope Breakfast will be used to provide technological capacity both locally and globally in order to deliver virtual training and coaching for each participant, allow Esperança to hire two additional community health educators to support the expansion of health education and the new youth development program, and support additional volunteer surgical teams for seven new missions each year.

In the coming months, Esperança is committed to improving the health of seniors living in Arizona through education on nutrition and chronic disease management, according to a press release. They will also be launching a new program designed specifically for at-risk youth --- Future of Hope.

Participants will gain knowledge about public health issues in their community and learn to serve as role models and advocates. Lastly, Esperança is committed to doubling the number of free surgeries they can provide over the next three years.

In response to COVID-19, since early April, Esperança has been providing bi-lingual health education videos through their social media channels including at-home exercises, how to properly brush and floss, and healthy meal recipes.

The organization’s health educators are also conducting weekly phone check-ins with seniors to lend support and identify specific needs they may have.

For more information about Esperança, visit: esperanca.org.