At the Human Collective Foundation, we support a number of initiatives, locally and internationally. Suicide prevention, veterans, education and the fight against human trafficking touch the surface, but mainly our mission is to serve as God has called us to and inspire others to serve, to connect people and resources to better aid others in a time of need and to spread hope.
The Ember Bridge Project, championed by Navy veteran Joe Charles, embodies a number of issues we are passionate about, so it made sense to support one of our country’s veterans in his mission to change lives and commitment to making a tangible difference in the world.
In 2022, Commander Joe Charles, a recently retired Navy Seabee, embarked on a mission trip to Panama with his church. With over two decades of Navy service, Joe's passion for serving others was deeply ingrained. Through Eleven22, Joe learned about Manos de Fe, an orphanage in Caisān, Panama, founded by an elder and his wife, Julie Proctor. This orphanage provides sanctuary and care for abandoned children in the region. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Caisān, Pastor Samuel Ábrego tirelessly ministered to 7 villages, totaling nearly 20,000 people. He undertook daily treks of over 18 miles across challenging jungle terrain and the treacherous Sami River, which had claimed many lives.
On a day that Joe Charles was on his mission trip, Pastor Samuel set off on one of those 18 mile hikes, this time heading towards the home of a friend, who was hosting and educating Joe’s mission team. Pastor Samuel shared stories of lives lost in the Sami River, of the many villagers that he was unable to reach and educate and share the Lord’s Word with. He talked about the challenges faced in accessing essential services like medical care and education due to the river's impassibility for much of the year. He spoke of the desperate need for a bridge to create safe passage not only for the villagers but for him as well, so that he would be able to spread the Gospel message.
Divine providence seemed to intervene when Joe, drawing on his Navy expertise, simply stated “I can build a bridge”, committing to a transformative project: building a bridge over the Sami River. Now two years later, after some setbacks, and a long, arduous journey to the Sami River, Joe has the logistics, measurements, designs, list of building supplies and timeline to be able to build this bridge for Pastor Samuel, and is set out to complete it before flood season in April 2025. The Ember Bridge Project has been born.
Partnered with Julie Proctor and Manos de Fe, this veteran’s skills the Navy supplied him are still being used to glorify God and serve others. One life a month is taken by the Sami River, one out of five people living in the extreme poverty of the 7 villages has special needs or disabilities and is unable to reach care, girls as young as nine and ten are being traded and trafficked among their families and villages, left pregnant and abandoned, the close to 20k people have not seen medical assistance in over two years all due to the fact that the Sami River is impassable 3 months out of the year and completely unpredictable 8 months out of the year due to flash floods. Through partnerships and a shared vision of compassion and service,
Joe Charles and Pastor Samuel Ábrego's collaboration stands as a testament to the transformative power of faith, dedication, and community support in overcoming formidable challenges and improving lives.
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