In 2006, Jillian Wolstein founded HELP, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing Hope, Education, Love and Protection to children around the world. The foundation first established its programs in Malawi, a peaceful country known as the "warm heart of Africa," where despite a burgeoning tourist industry, the people of Malawi remain among the poorest in the world.
HELP strives to establish programs that are low-cost, culturally relevant to the participants and that will have a lasting effect on the people involved. "The most amazing thing about HELP is that in just 3 years, the organization … built a school, clinic with maternity ward, relationships with other nearby schools and is building a library," says Tiffany Mushrush Mentzer of Urusline College. "I could not get over seeing it in person and seeing all that has been accomplished in that short amount of time. And you can tell how proud the Malawian people are of it."
Mushrush Mentzer established Ursuline College's relationship with HELP approximately a year ago, after receiving an email newsletter from the organization. "I thought what a great fit it would be for Ursuline to be a part of," she says. "When I first thought about the connection, I was just thinking locally and how we could help from here in Pepper Pike, Ohio. When I met with them, it became a much bigger picture for me and Ursuline. What could we do to actually help the people of Malawi?"
Mushrush Mentzer consulted Dr. Connie Korosec, professor and chair of fashion design and merchandising at Ursuline, who had several ideas. It started with the donation of sewing machines, magazines and sewing supplies, which were shipped to Malawi. As the time came for the items to reach Malawi, the colleagues realized they needed to figure out how the school in Malawi was going to teach sewing. The result was that Mushrush Mentzer, Korosec and Ursuline graduate student Anne-Marie Gurko traveled to Malawi to teach sewing at the Nanthomba School. "It was really amazing to me how this small idea turned into an international idea." Mushrush Mentzer knew she and the rest of the group would change lives in Malawi, but their lives were soon to change as well.
