Seventy percent (70%) of the funds to build Covenant House have been raised.
Thank you for considering my appeal for a donation to reach the remainder needed to complete this goal for Covenant House Orphan Care Ministry, a home for 20 orphan children. I have known Tony Scellato and his family for 25+ years and have seen God work incredible miracles through them.
Pictures of 15 years working with children: https://www.yesmissions.com/photos
A child becomes an orphan every 18 seconds!
My husband and I arrived in America with our 11-month-old baby in 1999 on an L1 visa from South Africa. We started a small business Sunwise Swimwear Inc with the dream of becoming Americans. Tony’s family welcomed us, and Tony’s dad helped us build a company and obtain citizenship during the challenging years of September 11, 2001, and the 2008 financial crisis in America.
My name is Venessa Redman, Florida, USA, and I pray you will read on and join me as we strive to achieve this exciting goal.
A Home for 20 Orphaned Children in Mt. Grenan, St Vincent
Welcome to a journey of compassion, hope and a vision: To provide a loving home for 20 orphaned children in Mt. Grenan, St Vincent.
Covenant House Orphan Care Ministry is the name. It is not an orphanage, children’s home, in essence, an institution. This ministry will provide these 20 children a family which is vastly different from the “care” an institution provides. Covenant House Orphan Care Ministry promises to change lives and ignite dreams.
After visiting St. Vincent in 2024 and meeting many locals and truly getting to understand the struggles of the people, I wanted to help Pastor Maloney and his warm, friendly, and caring wife Elna create a place where laughter could echo and children could feel warmth and belonging.
Elna is unstoppable, she teaches other pastor wives and runs summer camps to keep children out of trouble, she helps local businesses when the need arises, and the children love her. Everyone knows Elna and brings their problems to her. Pastor Maloney and his wife Elna have a vision to create a sanctuary where orphaned children find not just shelter, but the nurturing embrace of a loving family.
They work tirelessly from this church building that has no air conditioning and shows extreme wear and tear on the inside ceiling and outside walls. The building is built into the mountain.
When I visited St Vincent with Tony in 2024, it was interesting to see how the surrounding neighbors gave what little they had to this ministry couple who are so impactful in their community. The gratitude from everyone for the small gifts of clothing and toys donated by friends in America was heartwarming and I decided to do whatever I could to help.
With unwavering support from friends and family the land was purchased, and plans were meticulously crafted where children and a community can come together to support each other and thrive.
This land was purchased for Covenant House Orphan Care Ministry and these plans approved.
Approximately $210,000 has been raised. A testament to the power of community and collective action.
The journey has begun!
The estimated cost to build is $300,211.09.
Ground has broken and the building has begun.
We cannot do it alone. We need you to join us, to lend your voice and your support to this noble cause. Together, we can bridge the gap between dreams and reality, between hardship and hope.
As you browse the photos, feel free to ask questions that I may not have covered. You will see the faces of children met along this journey like the children who will call Covenant House home, and items that show the costs needed to furnish this home and so much more.
Traveling St Vincent with Elna and her friends to view first-hand the need. Prices were frightening. After Pastor Maloney’s car radiator exploded. No one complained, another woman simply called her husband and told him I was only there for a few more days, and they needed transport immediately. He arrived and transported us all over the island.
You will be kept updated and will witness Covenant House Orphan Care Ministry become a reality to this couple and our ministry that care so much about the children of St Vincent. A place where every child is cherished, supported, and empowered to reach for the stars.
The location opposite the city park is perfect providing ample park space for gatherings and outdoor activities.
James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.
Thank you for considering my appeal for a donation. I look forward to meeting you on a volunteer trip to St Vincent or anytime you are available for tea in Florida.
Venessa Redman
Florida, USA.
Following is a United Nations case study of Saint Vincent & the Grenadines posted 11 May 2023. Click the link to read the study; and the UNICEF report on Situational Analysis of children in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Organizer
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Yes Ministries Inc
Beneficiary