Local church effort sponsors Honduras children’s education
By Ryan Spoehr
Staff writer
A local effort at area church to sponsor the education of children overseas has grown three years into the initiative.
The initiative is to raise money at local churches to sponsor the education for children in Honduras, one of the poorest nations in Central America. Bill Lurvey of Palmyra got the initiative started after getting to know a family from Honduras through his church, Siloam United Methodist in Palmyra.
“There were single parents who could not afford to send their children to school,” Lurvey said.
“Forty percent of Honduras lives on $2.30 and 60 percent lives on $4.30. When school costs $120 a year, with uniforms and books and supplies, and especially if you are single, it’s tough,” Lurvey said. “People don’t see much value in education, and school is their way out of that poverty.”
He went to Siloam and tried to find a way to help. The idea of fundraising through the church was developed by asking for donations. In the first year, in 2015, $300 was raised at Siloam. Six children were sponsored to go to school.
Last year, $350 was raised.
“Then we decided to see if we could expand it to other churches,” Lurvey said.
Those other churches were Little Prairie Unitied Methodist and Hebron Community churches were added to see if there could be more money raised.
After an increase of $50 from year one to two, there was an increase of up to $850 this year. Nine children in Honduras were allowed to go to school because of the efforts at the local churches.
“Anytime a church can collect $1,000 and do something meaningful, it’s neat,” Lurvey said. “If you can get nine kids an education, that’s meaningful. It’s poor in Honduras; it’s unbelievable really.
Lurvey said the goal is to involve even more churches going forward.
