What's New at AHI?
As most of you know, Accessible Hope International was just rebranded one year ago. Our previous name, Women of Hope International, no longer communicated the breadth and depth of our vision and programming, and it was time for a new identity. Over this past year, we have been leaning in to what this new identity looks like, and aligning our vision and programs to fit this broader scope. This has led to some really exciting changes!
COVID-19 has also impacted the way we do what we do. All of our work is done in the Majority World, and with travel and gatherings prohibited globally during the pandemic, we have been re-imagining our strategies and resources in order to continue the vital work of bringing hope to people with disabilities globally. The pandemic has actually been a blessing in disguise, causing us to dream bigger and reach deeper into creative delivery methods for Biblical discipleship around disability.
One of the big changes for us as a ministry has been to convert to a completely virtual office model. With the addition of staff in remote locations, we had already planned for this change, but thought it would be at the end of 2020. However, with the onset of COVID, 5 staff members in 5 different states, and everyone working remotely, we realized that it would need to be sooner. So, in June of this year, we closed our Memphis-based office permanently. This was a huge undertaking, but it has provided us with opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable. Our team is a global team. We can have staff that work in any state – or any country! Being a virtual ministry team ties us more closely together to our Global Training Ambassadors, and gives us opportunities to include people from around the world in various opportunities – including YOU, our ministry partners.
Over this week, we are going to be bringing you an email each day, revealing some of the exciting changes that God has led us to, as we adapt our mission of facilitating Gospel-centered transformation for people with disabilities around the world by equipping the global Body of Christ to open wholistic doors of access to our current global realities and enlarged identity.
Stay tuned to learn what is happening, and how you can be a part of what God is doing around the world among people with disabilities – even during a global pandemic!