A fresh new bowl, like a fresh new year, can be full of possibilities.  You can fill it with whatever your heart desires. It’s an empty slate so to speak.  What do you hope your year holds?  Personally, for me, I hope it holds another year of my family being blessed with good health. I’m hoping to adopt again or at least start fostering again.  And, if I’m being honest, I’m hoping for my business to thrive and grow. I’m hoping for no more setbacks of pandemics and economic uncertainty.  And, I’m still holding out hope for peace on earth, and I’m hoping to do my part to make that a reality…at least in my circle of influence.  Have you thought about what your hopes for the new year are?  I’d love to know because this is my bowl of hope for you!

I have a friend named Mickey Kinzenbaw who visited Zambia years ago.  He’s a farmer from Iowa.  He noticed that the conditions in Zambia and several other African countries were perfect for farming and cultivating the land.  However, it was the knowledge and the desire that were lacking among the people, so he set out to change it in hopes that he would be filling bowls with food for the people who wanted change.  He started an organization called AgriHOPE!  (www.agrihope.org) He spends most of his time and his own money helping the people of several African countries learn to farm.  Now, he’s raised money for wells and irrigation equipment to teach these villagers how to feed themselves and fill their own bowls.   He’s living the “teach a man to fish” philosophy.  He works shoulder to shoulder with the village people setting up farms and working the land.  He starts with the schools so the children can eat, because he sees hope in the children’s eyes as they look toward their future.  There has been such an amazing reaction from the villages that the farming program is now jumping from village to village and men, women, and children are working to raise their own food to keep from starving and rely less on handouts.  It truly is a message of hope for the future.

I asked Mickey if he could bring me back 1000 bowls from Zambia and I would buy all of these bowls at a mark-up as a fundraiser to help with the mission of Agrihope.  The bowl you are holding is just that…a bowl of hope from Zambia made by a local artist.

We are hopeful for your business in the new year too.  We’re hopeful that you grow and thrive in your career and you have less stress and more productive days.  If you need staffing resources, I hope you call me.

Merry Christmas and a very HOPEFUL New Year!

Amy Clary, President

KeyStaff, Inc.

c. 512-470-4958

amy@keystaffinc.com

If you feel compelled to donate to Agrihope.  You can do so online at www.agrihope.org and click the donate bucket.