WORLD Magazine and the American Bible Society are pleased to announce the national winner of the 2011 Hope Awards for Effective Compassion: Victory Trade School. The Springfield, Mo., ministry received the most votes from WORLD readers in an online poll conducted in August and September.
The winning ministry, WORLD's Midwest finalist, along with the three other regional finalists-from the East, Bowery Mission Women's Center, New York City; from the South, Challenge House, Hopkinsville, Ky.; and from the West, Hope Now for Youth, Fresno, Calif.—were honored at a ceremony on Oct. 14 at Houston Baptist University in Houston (see "And the winner is ...," by Marvin Olasky).
As the national winner of the Hope Awards, Victory Trade School won a $25,000 grand prize. All four regional winners received a check for $5,000.
Our sixth annual Effective Compassion competition began in January when we asked readers to nominate local ministries that offer challenging, personal, and spiritual help to those in need. We looked at the nominees' websites and other materials, telephoned some of them, chose finalists for each and then sent out a reporter to eyeball the most promising ones.
Throughout the summer we rolled out the four regional winners, publishing in-depth profiles in the magazine and on the website, where we also included videos and additional photos of the final four. After we named the four finalists in late July, we turned it over to you, our readers, to vote for the ministry program you believed to be the most deserving.
Be sure to read the profiles of all four finalists (see links in each regional section below). We hope that such coverage will spotlight the work of these organizations and suggest to others the opportunity to go and do likewise.
Victoria Queen accepts the award.
Southern hospitality
South region winner Challenge House brings 'local missionaries' to poor neighborhoods and finds ways for them to help
by Tiffany Owens
Cooking for Christ
Victory Trade School of Springfield, Mo., is our Midwest Region winner and a finalist in WORLD’s sixth annual effective compassion contest
by Mary Hopkins
‘Things a dad would do’
Hope Now for Youth, teaches former gang members about how to live and work as Christian men
by Jamie Dean
Safe house
The Bowery Women's Center, provides addicted women security, stability, and the love of Christ
by Jill Lacey
