My name is Chanel Maddigan, and I am from Buffalo, New York. My educational background is in business management and international relations, and I am a practicing attorney with a passion for tango dancing and travel.
About a Woman
In honor of International Women’s Day we want to share the hearts of the courageous, powerful women who are connected to Humanity and Hope United from across our country and into Honduras. They inspire us every day with their steadfast love, willingness to sacrifice for their children, and motivation to push towards a better future for everyone around them. On our most recent trip down to Honduras, we visited homes in the village of La Cuchilla and were subsequently met with the question, "What do women want?"
A Shelter for Your Pain
Purchase with Purpose
“What if living the abundant life isn’t about having better stories to share but about living a story that lets others live better?
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Besides being nostalgic, a walk through a tree farm during the holiday season can be a really eye opening experience. How is it that all of these trees are still alive and thriving throughout all the seasons of their life?
The simple answer is, their seeds were watered patiently, allowing them to create deep roots. The first couple growing seasons of a tree's life are tough. They expend a lot of energy trying to establish their roots. They need a lot of water and consistent care to survive and develop into their full potential.
The same goes for our families in Honduras. They too need a steady outpouring of love to believe in their potential and begin establishing roots strong enough to withstand even the most difficult seasons of life. However, at this point, nothing about their lives is stable. Some wake up every day not knowing if they will have enough food to feed their children tomorrow. Others have lost the motivation in their hearts to dream about a better life.
We believe that you are a gift the world needs. You have the power to purchase with purpose and plant seeds that together we will continue to grow for years to come. While we watch them establish their roots, so will you. And you can look down at your cup of coffee or bracelet and think, I am a part of something so much bigger than myself. I am living a story that allows others to have a better life. My outpouring of love will always, always make a difference. Your loved ones will think the same when you decide to make an investment of hope in their honor. Our life stories become so much deeper when our givenness is rooted in love.
Browse below to check out our holiday gift options …
Generous Coffee: Coffee is a huge part of the morning routine of so many. Why not choose to give back with every sip you take? Generous is a lifestyle. Even the most minuscule decisions we make each day reflect the tone of our life story. We can choose to punctuate our days with an attitude that seeks to give back ---let others see your smile, be a little more present, give an encouraging word without being prompted. With Generous Coffee, we can now choose to use this mindset when selecting consumer goods. Purchasing a bag of coffee means providing job opportunities for those who need it most. Be Generous, because you don't have to.
Doxhalogy - The Emerita Bracelet: is a handcrafted leather bracelet, which displays the coordinates of a very special place: the village of La Cuchilla. This village of 27 families had been praying for help for years, and today we are taking steps toward answering their prayers. But the village of La Cuchilla was “off the grid” before a woman named Emerita showed us the way. Emerita leads a group of women in a chicken business in the village of La Coroza and knows firsthand the impact purpose can have on a woman's life. She chose to delay advances for her own family such as obtaining electricity, so that the people of La Cuchilla could have their basic needs met first. She and her husband even gathered clothing from families in her village to donate to others in La Cuchilla. We need more of this in our world. Emerita is a stunning reminder that with each other, we are never lost. Her tenacity to pay it forward to others is nothing short of remarkable.
Every bracelet was created by women like Emerita, who believe in the power of opportunity. Each bracelet will create three days of work for a woman in Honduras. When you purchase this bracelet, you too are choosing to believe in paying it forward and bringing light and purpose to those who need it most.
Investment of Hope: Give the gift of time to a family in Honduras. One month of stable income and clean water means more time to walk forward towards creating a better life. It means more time for the children of this family to make their way to school and feel new dreams coming alive in their hearts every day. One month may not seem like a lot of time, but by choosing to purchase that “one,” you may provide the most stability this family has seen in their entire lifetime.
Purchasing with purpose means believing that ALL trees deserve a chance to root down and blossom up. Won't you join us in this movement? Click here to purchase with purpose and make an investment this holiday season.
Our World
Our world is in pain. Every week it seems like the news is packed with devastating stories; things that none of us can even begin to wrap our minds around. How do we respond to our world’s desperate call for help? Is there any hope left to hang on?
A while back, Humanity and Hope United’s founder Riley Fuller said something about the villages he works with that resonates with the current climate of our world. He said:
“It may not look to the outside world that there’s a lot here. It may not look like there’s hope here. But, I believe in you. ”
It may not look like there are a lot of helpers out there. It may not look like there’s a way to overcome the evil that we see blazing through our society, but what if someone believed there was? Wouldn’t that be comforting?
Humanity and Hope believes that every single one of us holds the potential to rise above even the bleakest circumstances.
Meet Dunia. Her name literally means “our world” and we believe her story is calling us to respond. Not only to her, but to everyone who has ever felt lost or hopeless or abandoned.
Photo by Christina Cernik
Dunia Miranda is a single mother. She lives in a small hut with seven children in the village of La Cuchilla. Not too much is known about her except that her husband had a drinking problem and would beat her. He has since abandoned the family. Her only source of income is occasionally washing other people’s clothes for money.
Dunia is trying desperately to rise above her circumstances. She puts on a brave face every day for her children and actively seeks any work she can find.
But, Dunia is tired.
Our world is tired.
You can help. We all need each other so desperately. The world's heart is breaking and it is actively seeking givers to bring back the hope.
Please follow the link to our latest campaign which will provide sustainable jobs opportunities for women like Dunia in the village of La Cuchilla. By purchasing a mug or bracelet created by Moon& Lola, you will not only provide concrete opportunities for individuals in need, but you'll also be telling the world, "I believe in you."
That phrase is a comfort we all really need right now.
-Kelly Segar with Ally Browning and Kathryn Muccino