HOE Ministries Gives New Hope to Orphans in Ethiopia : Hope For Orphans of Ethiopia Organization to Build Greater Awareness and Solutions to the Soaring Poverty Catastrophe Afflicting Orphaned and Innocent Children in Prison

HOE Ministries, Inc. (Hope for Orphans of Ethiopia), www.hoeministries.org, is a non profit Christian organization founded in January 2007, committed to reaching out to the impoverished orphan children of Ethiopia.

WILTON, Conn. (Business Wire EON) November 20, 2008 -- The Ethiopian AIDS pandemic has afflicted this country of approximately 77 million people and has left countless numbers of homeless children living on the streets and in the many orphanages throughout the country. Ethiopia is now in a time of crisis: drought, crop failure, and the rising cost of food contribute to a countrywide famine. HOE Ministries mission is to provide the immediate basic necessities of food, clothing, medical care, and education and most importantly, the security of a warm and friendly family environment along with a hope for the future.

Tom Mustico, founder of HOE Ministries, said, "One of HOE Ministries commitments are to Hanna Orphans Home, a legally established non-profit organization focused solely on helping the poor, parentless and destitute children in Ethiopia. It is supported solely by individuals and organizations from Ethiopia and overseas. Since being founded in 1992 under supervision by Hanna Teshome, 22 "homes" have been established, caring for over 180 children on a full-time basis, providing housing, food & nutrition, healthcare and educational needs."

He continued, "In addition to supporting and building homes, we and our partners at the orphanage have managed to arrange the release of over 30 children from prison, aged from infancy to 15 years old, providing them with housing, food, medical care in Addis Ababa, Jimma and Harar, Ethiopia. These children are innocent victims of the prison system due to crimes that their parents committed.

Commenting on the future of these orphans, Hanna Teshome stated, "What hope do these children have when they leave the safety and security of the orphanage? Without an education or a vocational skill, some may surely end up on the streets."

"I am so thankful for Hanna making it possible for me to graduate from the university and the opportunity to make a decent life for myself," commented 21-year old Sarah, who lived at the orphanage for over ten years. "I am forever grateful to Hanna's Orphanage as for over ten years, it provided me with the shelter and covered my university tuition to become a legal clerk and I am now living on my own in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia."

Through generous donations, HOE Ministries raised over $35,000 to date from individuals and local church groups for the housing needs of Hanna's Orphanage. The money raised has helped to meet the needs of over 120 orphans and over 40 children living far below the poverty line. In addition, The Pfizer Foundation, Wal-Mart and several small businesses have provided financial assistance via matching gifts and one time donations.

What will the funds raised be used towards?

Shelter/Clothing: housing, bedding, clothing and a clean hygienic living environment Education: building classrooms, library and computer labs Food & Water: Providing the afflicted areas with food and clean water storage tanks Medical Care: Help the community with access to medical care facilities, preventative care and treatment Creating greater awareness of the dire conditions and the urgent need of thousands of orphaned children is paramount to our success. To achieve this goal, HOE Ministries has organized four trips to Ethiopia since their inception in 2007. These trips will continue as we strive to build personal relationships with the children and provide the opportunity for those interested to join them in the coming year.

About HOE Ministries:

In November of 2006, Tom Mustico, Founder of HOE Ministries, www.hoeministries.org, went to Ethiopia to visit a friend, Mr. Frew Tamrat, Academic Dean of a Christian college in Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia. During his visit, Tom had an opportunity to visit several orphanages. The experience was overwhelming to see first hand the depth of the poverty and despair. This marked the establishment of HOE Ministries to create greater awareness and solutions to the downward spiral of poverty in Ethiopia. You may receive HOE Ministries' Newsletter by visiting their website.

To donate, please visit www.hoeministries.org/html/donate.html.