Dear Friend,

Soup, Soap, and Salvation—this was the motto of the Salvation Army, founded in 1865 by William and Catherine Booth. Over a century and a half ago, it reflected a holistic ministry approach: meeting physical needs (soup), restoring dignity (soap), and offering hope to the brokenhearted (salvation).

Extreme poverty is complex and multidimensional. Institutions like the United Nations and The World Bank have developed indexes that measure poverty far beyond monetary income alone. At Five Talents, we also seek to take a holistic approach—investing in the mind, body, and spirit of each individual, while nurturing transformation within a community context. The result is not only a path out of poverty through entrepreneurship but as one of our program participants shared, “Joining the Savings Group helped me transform my mindset. Now, I can properly care for my children, pray for them, and attend Sunday services. My life has been completely changed…”

This model, however, goes back even farther in history—Jesus’ own ministry, which met the needs of the mind, body, and spirit in teaching and healing. And He invites us into that same mission: “Let us not love in word or talk only, but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

Thank you for being a part of this work and helping us put faith in action in the most meaningful ways. Your partnership is making all the difference.