Market of Hope gives the church and its community a chance to partner with the missions efforts of global

organizations, all through shopping.

WHAT IS MARKET OF HOPE?Market of Hope is a community market day featuring handmade goods from all over the world. We partner with ministries and social enterprises that minister to the needs of the world’s most vulnerable populations. We seek to empower these people to lift themselves out of poverty and desperation via artisanship and access to the purchasing power of developed markets.

HOW DOES IT WORK?We believe one of the best ways we can show our brothers and sisters in developing nations love is with education and job creation. While working with our partners, they are taught artisanship and given the opportunity to earn an income, providing for their physical needs while under the care of missionaries and local ministers. The artisan-made products are then sent to the US, giving these people needed access to American purchasing power. Market of Hope sells these products at Market Days, then sends profits back to the source. This creates a steady income stream for our partners and their artisans.

In spring of 2013, Abby Pound and Ashley Ruhl were working together at New Hope Community Church when they discovered in each other a mutual passion for justice and empowerment among the nations. Seeing an opportunity to build new opportunities for the church to join them in their passion, the Seek Justice ministry was born. After viewing the Poverty Cure DVD series (www.povertycure.org) and learning the power of giving global artisans access to American purchasing power, they began planning an outdoor event on a beautiful, crisp autumn day that would create an opportunity for Christmas shoppers to empower artisans around the world. And Market of Hope began.

In its first year, a blizzard (by Central Texas’ standards) blew in the weekend of Market of Hope, but the generosity of a building owner in downtown Round Rock enabled us to pull the event into a beautiful, warm indoor space and we were able to raise nearly $18,000. Our volunteers were so enthusiastic and excited, we knew this was a model we could repeat.

In 2014, our list of ministry partners grew as we expanded our reach, and despite a rainy afternoon that kept many shoppers home and left our volunteers a little soggy, we were blown away at the nearly $15,000 we were able to raise. That’s when we realized that Market of Hope was not reaching its full potential.

We are now an independently registered non-profit with the state of Texas, and we have spent all of 2015 refining our plans of expansion to help realize the possibilities of Market of Hope. We have seen doors open and hearts fill with passion for what we are doing, and we are trusting that we will continue to see Market of Hope exceed our expectations!

WHO WE ARE

OUR STORY

ASHLEY RUHLCO-FOUNDER

ABBY POUNDCO-FOUNDER

MARK ROYEBOARD MEMBER

BRYAN MOOREBOARD MEMBER

CAMI MURPHYBOARD MEMBER

JIM & DEBRA BROWNCHIEF ADVISORS

WHY SHOPPING?Wouldn’t it be better to just make a donation?Churches and humanitarian organizations everywhere are working hard to bring an end to poverty. Foreign aid programs and hunger-fighting charities have the best of intentions, but Market of Hope is committed to finding long-term solutions that put the opportunities in the hands of the poor. This is a new way to attack the problem of poverty. There is a common saying: “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Our partners like to take it even one step further: “…buy a man’s fish, and you empower him to lift his family out of poverty.”

The Market of Hope concept is a new step in missions that will impact the developing world for generations to come.

“What we need is a change in mindsets so that people recognize the creative capacity and the dignity of their brothers and sisters in developing countries, and are able to support them in their own agendas, in their own initiatives. We need projects that create opportunity for people to develop themselves.”

-Anielka Munkel, Acton Institute, Nicaragua

“Good aid is that which is targeted to create capacities in people so that they are able to live on their own activities.…In the long-term they have to depend on themselves rather than depend on aid.”

-Paul Kagame, President, Rwanda

THE NEEDCHURCH PARTNERS [VOLUNTEER & VENUE]

CHURCH PARTNER PROVIDES:

25 enthusiastic volunteers

(minimum 5 men or women able to do heavy lifting)

church facility for event venue (if a good option)

church facility for bad weather venue (if needed

and a good option)

20 folding tables and chairs20 folding tables and chairs

location for volunteer meeting 3-4 weeks prior

to event

donated baked goods & beverages to be sold

as concessions

promotion through church communication promotion through church communication

channels (i.e., church newsletter, announcements,

church website, social media)

MARKET OF HOPE PROVIDES:

venue rental fees, permits & liability

products & transaction materials

event organization & 2-4 event coordinators

decorations & display materials for venue and

products

organized volunteer meeting run by 1-2 event organized volunteer meeting run by 1-2 event

coordinators

volunteer t-shirts

promotional materials (i.e., posters, flyers, website

graphics, social media graphics, short promotional video)

5-minute live presentation on a Sunday

morning (Texas partners only; if desired)

20% of proceeds donated to church partner’s 20% of proceeds donated to church partner’s

missions program

Market of Hope2601 La Frontera Blvd #1429

Round Rock, TX 78681

512.744.3196 | marketofhope@yahoo.com

www.marketofhope.global