Viewers of ABC’s The Bachelor might notice that Ben Higgins wears a ceramic bracelet in each episode. That bracelet, which bears the word “hope.,” is made in the hometown community of GraceConnect by MudLOVE, an organization with Grace Brethren roots. (See Making Clean Water from Mud.) The story of Ben’s bracelet is detailed on the MudLOVE blog in a post titled, Hope for the Future: The Meaning Behind Ben Higgins’ Bracelet.
At MudLOVE, we believe that hope exists for every single person on the planet. When we meet other people who share that belief, amazing things can happen. Together with the Humanity & Hope United Foundation and The Bachelor’s Ben Higgins, we’re excited to announce the launch of a new campaign, Get Hope. Give Hope.
The post goes on to share the story of Riley Fuller, the president and co-founder of Humanity and Hope, and his desire to help some of Honduras’ most impoverished areas.
Right now, a slightly different type of love is overflowing for one of Riley’s best friends, Ben Higgins. While filming an episode of ABC’s The Bachelor in our shared hometown of Warsaw this past summer, Ben accepted our invitation to visit the MudLOVE studio. Upon finishing a tour of our production process, we offered up a gift of appreciation: of one of our handcrafted, ceramic bracelets. After careful consideration, Ben chose the word “hope.” On the way home, he looked down at the band on his wrist and made a decision that we believe will impact lives all over the world.
“I appreciated that MudLOVE gave me the band without asking me to wear it. It felt different, and genuine. ‘Hope’ is my favorite word, and it resonates with me for different reasons. I decided to wear it throughout the show, and it provided comfort; connecting me back to my hometown. It wasn’t necessarily a symbol of hope in finding the right woman, but more about general hope in life. In a situation that can feel selfish and all about me, this bracelet is a reminder that there is hope in the bigger picture.”
You can imagine our surprise (and swooning) when, several months later, we saw promotional images for The Bachelor, and Ben was wearing his “hope.” band. You can imagine our greater surprise (and greater swooning) when we realized that he is wearing the bracelet, fairly visibly, in each episode. It soon became evident to Ben that this could be an opportunity to make a real difference. The word “hope” also represented an organization that he had previously dedicated his time and passion towards: the Humanity & Hope United Foundation.
“It hit me, since I care about H&H, and then started learning about MudLOVE’s mission. I wanted to share hope in some way, and got back with the idea to partner together. Everyone involved is from the same town, with the same intentions to do good. In an environment where romantic love is at the forefront, my desire is to have an impact through loving others in a bigger way.”
It was the beginning of a new campaign to spread love and hope to those who need it most. The blog continues:
Through the Get Hope. Give Hope. campaign, 50% of the proceeds from every “hope.” band sold will go directly to Humanity & Hope’s job creation initiatives in Honduras. The purchase of each band will create 1 day of work for a man or woman in the villages of La Corosa and Remolino. On a larger scale, every 300 bands sold will create 1 full-time job and provide 1 family with economic security.
In honor of MudLOVE’s standard giving commitment, every band will also provide 1 week of clean water in the Central African Republic through the work of our longtime partner, Water for Good.
Water for Good (formerly ICDI) is a cooperating ministry in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.
Click here to read the complete post.