We believe that all compassionate measures must be supported by the awareness of the truth. The progression of these values has led us to a final stance of advocacy and intervention on the issues of orphan prevention and family preservation. Like many willing and generous donors, our compassion led us to Haiti to lend a helping hand. What we found when we arrived—a first-hand knowledge of the real issues at stake—has caused us to rethink our model of distributing aid to the poor and what it means to help without hurting. This is why family preservation has become our core focus.
We believe that families are one of the God-ordained building blocks of a healthy society, and we are determined to work in such a way that we support it. It is our heart to empower the people of Haiti and distribute aid in a way that diminishes entitlement and dependence and increases freedom and dignity. We are committed to pursuing sustainable development because we recognize that the largest problem facing so many of Haiti’s families is an economic one. We would love to see the day that the families we work with don’t need our programs, and are able to feed, educate, and care for the health and wellbeing of their families independently.
The Team
John Keane
Founder
John Keane founded HOPE Community project in 2010 after visiting Haiti shortly after the devastating earthquake that left hundreds of thousands of children homeless. Having 8 children and 3 grandchildren of his own, John felt a special burden to use his business and personal resources to help strengthen families and communities in Haiti in order to prevent children from becoming “economic” orphans. John’s passion became helping the most vulnerable families stay together and encouraging extended families and communities to care for the children among them. John is committed, through HOPE, to helping to provide at-risk families with a viable alternative to institutionalizing their children.
Luke and Julie
Field Directors
Luke is the Field Director for the Hope Community Project and Julie is the Medical Coordinator and oversees the medical clinic. Luke is the big picture guy. Julie is the every little detail gal. It works (usually!). Luke and Julie met at Kuyper College (then Reformed Bible College) in Michigan. They moved to St. Louis where Luke earned Master of Divinity and Master of Counseling degrees from Covenant Seminary. Luke had directed a non-profit ministry and worked as a counselor for the previous six years. Julie had worked for The Keane Insurance Group since moving to St. Louis in 2002 and with Hope Community Project since 2011. They have four kids, Micah (b. 2003), Chloe (b. 2005), Jude (b. 2007), and Moses (b. 2014). They moved to Haiti June 23, 2014.
Caitlin Campbell
Caitlin is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University with a degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She has traveled on many mission teams to Mexico, serving in eyeglass clinics and at Door of Faith Orphanage. She came to Haiti for the first time in March 2016. Caitlin taught 3rd grade for two years in Missouri Public Schools and now comes to serve as the homeschool teacher for the Brouwer kids. She enjoys reading, baking and spending quality time with her friends. While she knows a lot of Spanish, she is looking forward to learning Creole.