New year…new outlook!

2020 didn’t just bring new lives and a new community for our Venezuelan friends in Lima…it also brought new “20/20” vision! Something New bought glasses for all these beautiful people. And with financial support we gave, two more were able to buy glasses to send to their mothers in Venezuela.

With such a shortage of medical supplies in Venezuela, even if they tried sending money to their families, there are no glasses available to purchase. This perspective can be difficult to imagine in the U.S., but is a daily reality in Venezuela. 

We feel as happy for these families as we would be for our own. And they could not be more grateful. Cheers to “20/20!”

2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the MLK National Day of Service. Something New didn’t have to look very far to find a story of service to tell!

Last week several men in our Venezuelan branch of Nuevo Camino encountered a man on the streets of Lima whose wheelchair was tattered and broken. Without a second thought, they ran to the store to buy parts to fix his chair. On the way, they decided instead to pool their (slim) resources and buy him a new wheelchair. They never considered how much money they didn’t have in their pockets, or whether their kids could still eat that night as a result. They simply saw a stranger in need and stopped to help.

Each of these men knows what it’s like to be that “stranger on the street.” When Something New met a group of Venezuelan refugee families in Lima, we committed to supporting with jobs, food, and housing. It would be so easy to pass by…to pretend not to see the need. To ignore the fact that if we don’t do something, the ones we’ve encountered will starve. But we are not a people who can do that, and these men aren’t either. Once you’ve experienced someone stopping to invest in you, you can’t help but want to do the same for others.

The MLK Day of Service celebrates the legacy of one of history’s greatest civil and human rights leaders. Without knowing or intending to, this group of men encompassed the spirit of Dr. King. They chose not to look the other way when a need crossed their path. They gave, whether or not they “had” anything to give. They experienced the joy that comes from putting others before yourself.

We have much more work to do in Lima…more people to meet, more mouths to feed, more people desperate for hope. We need your help! Click here to join us in supporting this community!

This incredible group of kids from a local Atlanta homeschool co-op decided they wanted to #dosomething to help children in Peru. So they created a business called Kids Helping Kids, which sells homemade string art, candles, soap scrubs, and more. KHK proceeds have already helped provide food and school supplies to dozens of kids in Cusco and Lima, Peru.

These kids are talented and community minded far beyond their years. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their cool products on Etsy!

Good morning!

These bright and shining faces are excited to be waking up in their NEW building in Lima. A building they fondly call the “Hope House.” No longer scraping for food in dangerous neighborhoods, these young Venezuelan refugees are living brand new lives in a safe community.

Just a short while ago, Something New met several young Venezuelan families in Lima, whose stories of tragedy and survival were beyond anything we have ever faced. And true to our roots, we committed to stopping along our journey and investing where we saw a need.

With help from generous donors, we were able to access a humble building in a safe neighborhood to house these families. It’s indescribable to look into the eyes of a mother who knows her child will eat that night; one who was recently taking pain pills to dull her hunger, so her children could have a few bites of food. Yet there is still MUCH to do. Many mouths to feed, many jobs to find, many kids to teach. Many more people looking for a way out of desperate circumstances.

Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This day celebrates a public servant who dedicated his life to serving those overlooked by society. We at Something New work every day to carry on that legacy, and we hope others will join us.

Click here to donate and help us continue our work in Lima!

Who doesn’t love something soft and fluffy every now and then? Especially when that “something” supports a family in need?

All proceeds from our Adopt a Llama shop support families in Nuevo Camino. These llama purchases have helped Something New pay school tuition, buy school uniforms and supplies, and subsidize housing for women and children from a battered women’s shelter in Cusco, Peru.

Beat that Friday afternoon slump by doing something good! Buy a llama. Help a mama. Click here to check out the merch!

“Venezuelans will ALWAYS fight to be happy!”

Meet Divanid. See that smile on her face? That’s the smile of someone whose dreams are coming true. She’s about to get married. She’s feeling safe for the first time in years. And she has enough food to eat each day.

But here’s the extra special thing about Divanid: We saw that exact same smile the day we met her—when none of those things were true. At 21, she had already survived famine, extreme violence, and being displaced from her home country of Venezuela.

But Divanid is no victim! When you hear her joyful laughter and soak in her lively and grateful spirit, you see someone who refuses to sit around and dwell on her problems.

Today is “Make Your Dreams Come True” Day. You can imagine how Divanid’s joy overflows now that her dreams (and FAR beyond!) are coming true.

Divanid says it was simply her life that taught her to fight for happiness. That grit is in her blood. Regarding Venezuelans, she said, ”It’s not that we have faith that tomorrow will be better or worse. We just don’t want to accept not being happy.”

Imagine what a world it would be if we all did the same.