Caleb Hope Foundation

How We Began

Every morning at 4.30AM, large dump trucks pull up to the waste lands of North India to dispose their tons of garbage. Within minutes shadows emerge from the darkness crawling through the piles of junk. These are the “rag pickers”- children who frantically fill their sacks with treasures from the discarded waste, “treasures” which they will sort through with their families (if they are blessed to have one) dividing the glass from the plastic, paper, and other materials to sell and feed themselves. The rag pickers, comprised of widows, orphans and untouchables all carry tales of their own; stories which break your heart and cause you to ponder the fragility of life.

At a challenging season of my mid 20s, I traveled to India for the first time in my life and witnessed this unjust poverty. As an actor I felt as if I was on a movie set; only what I was standing amongst was all too real. I was in complete disbelief at the sights around me, and yet so profoundly touched by the laughter of these children.

Upon my return to America, the visions still haunt me. The call awakens my soul reminding me that the time is NOW. We can build community and make a difference as we step out of our self-centered lifestyles to care for a world in pain. In allowing ourselves to truly see, serve and be broken, something changes in our lives. Suddenly there is a need to absorb these experiences, come home changed and impact the world around us…

Our vision for the next year is to build an orphanage in the district of Koraput in Orissa. In the next few years, we hope to build community and raise leaders through “Caleb Hope Foundation.” In the upcoming years, actors, performing artists, fashion designers photographers and other talented people of our generation will band together and create art to raise funds for this venture. We will gather teams of young people wanting to make a difference in the world to gather supplies and visit the slums to provide medical care, teach English, organize activities for the orphan homes, shower love upon them, and allow India to impact our lives, inspiring us to return home with a new perspective and the call to reach out to a hurting world. Please join us in our journey.

Jeremiah Caleb
Executive Director
www.jeremiahcaleb.com