Following the fall of the Soviet Union in Ukraine in the early 1990s, Jeff Rutt, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based homebuilder, traveled to Ukraine numerous times with his church, transporting containers of food, clothing, and medical supplies to the city of Zaporizhzhia.
After several of these visits, a local pastor pulled Jeff aside and told him honestly that the shipments were not helping. Instead of handouts, the pastor felt that his community needed a hand up.
Though people were accessing needed supplies, they had become dependent on American charity. In addition, local businesses could not compete with the free handouts. The well-intentioned aid shipments were actually doing more harm than good by depressing local industry and initiative.
Jeff returned from the trip with a strong drive to find a solution. He plunged into research and eventually discovered the concept of economic development, then a little-known poverty alleviation strategy.
Peter Greer, HOPE’s current president, joined HOPE in 2004, ushering in a period of strategic growth and increased public awareness. Under Peter’s leadership, HOPE has grown to serve in 21 countries around the world.