Rotary club pays power bills for Hope House The club says it is partnering with Hope House for more than 20 years and is happy to help them as they shelter over 40 children who stay there and go to school located on the campus.

At the Hope House in Marsing, several dozen children who were surrendered by their adoptive parents, or where foster care wasn’t a good fit, call this place home.

They eat, sleep and go to school at Hope House, which is run largely off donations.

The Sunrise Rotary Club of Boise (Idaho, US – D 5400) presented Hope House a $100,000 cheque that will pay the facility’s power bills for more than a year.

“Our power bills are incredibly high, if it’s good weather it’s $7,000 a month, but last January and February the weather was so bad we ran up a $13,000 bill for the month,” said Donnalee Velvick-Lowry, CEO and Founder of Hope House.

Funds are tight at Hope House as it is.

With more than 40 children living, eating, learning, and playing at the home, the staff make sacrifices.

“Our staff lives on campus and are paid 27 cents an hour and they are guaranteed an apartment or a house to live in. So this is a work of service, it’s not a paycheck if it’s not a job,” said Velvick-Lowry.

Hope House relies heavily on corporate and private donations.

“We do not have county state or federal matching funds of any kind,” said Velvick-Lowry.

Sunrise Rotary Club President Karl Klokke says they have partnered with Hope House for more than 20 years and are happy to help.

“If we weren’t there who would be? Where would these kids be at? It gives our Rotary club a purpose, when you are involved and engaged like this the club is a partner,” said Klokke.

“We are just so grateful to see such a wonderful amount of sharing that is going on,” said Velvick-Lowry.

Source: ktvb.com