Tiana came to HALO through a local mentoring program. She knew she wanted to go to college, but was struggling making ends meet and finding money for tuition. Five years later, she has consistently given back to HALO, volunteering with everything from special events to leading workshops for other HALO youth in our Learning Center. She has taught Professional Development …
14 Kansas City HALO Youth Graduate to a Brighter Future
HALO believes every child deserves the foundation of a family. Part of being that foundation is celebrating important accomplishments alongside our youth. Last Wednesday night, our partner Fairfax Learning Center held their High School graduation ceremony. Of the 38 children who graduated from Fairfax Learning Center, 14 were HALO youth. HALO has been partnering with Fairfax Learning Center since 2016. …
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…your local superheroes!
We’ve been working on a very special project with Gordon Parks Elementary in Kansas City. Over the past few months, HALO hosted art workshops for the kindergarten and 3rd grade classrooms. For the final project we worked with the kids to create their own superhero. We talked through what kind of super powers they want, what their costumes look like, …
#HumansofHALO: Basketball Fever in the Timau Home
The US sports’ world is not the only one ablaze with basketball fever. Our boys in the Timau home in Kenya have fallen in love with the sport. With a bit of ingenuity and passion for the game, they’ve found creative ways to play! Here is their awesome story: The boys at the Timau Home have a new found love …
Noah Gives Back By Leading a Workshop on Goal Setting
The Kansas City Learning Center came full circle this week when long-time HALO youth, Noah, helped HALO staff lead a workshop on goal setting for local youth emergency shelter teens. Noah was asked to teach the workshop on Goal-Setting, because he has accomplished so many of the goals he set for himself. He also first came to HALO with this …
#HumansofHALO Meet Damaris
“These kids bring me eternal joy. One of the happiest moments I have as a social worker for HALO was when I was able to get three siblings from where they were staying and bring them to the Baraka Home. They had no food to eat, no water to drink, and no smiles on their faces. When I arrived at …
The Preciousness of Health and Healing
HALO Founder Rebecca Welsh writes: “A few years ago, I was walking down the hall at one of our local schools when a girl named Kate headed toward me. She was part of HALO, but I hardly recognized her. Her face was pale and sweaty, and she sounded terrible. She had been sick for weeks and couldn’t get in to …
HALO Thanksgiving 2017
On Thursday, November 16th, HALO held its HALO Thanksgiving for our kids at the Tony Aguirre Community Center. Throughout the course of the evening, there was food, fun, and festivities galore. Local volunteers gathered and provided delicious turkey, casserole, and desserts. After a hearty meal and mingling, our kids went to the adjoining gym to enjoy some basketball, rock climbing, …
#HumansofHALO Meet Twebeze
Many HALO members and graduates attend Uganda’s Ekitangaala Transformation High School, a school that seeks to curate a rising generation of leaders and change seekers. I had the opportunity to visit their school and join in the classroom conversation encompassing the topic of “integrity.” I saw a group of dedicated, inspiring, and humble individuals who attentively and genuinely sought to …
Meet Sharifa #HumansofHALO
Sharifa Nansamba has been living in the Mengo home supported by HALO since 2008. Her two parents separated while Sharifa was very little and she was not able to continue living with her mom. After their separation, her dad remarried and Sharifa’s new stepmom abused her and denied her the opportunity to attend school. She spent two years out of …