Redmond-based Washington Cathedral will hold its annual mission auction Friday, June 5 to raise funds to help educate and give hope to kids who work and live in the garbage dump of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The mission auction will be held in the new Randy and Rod Halvorson Recreation Center at 12300 Redmond-Woodinville Road NE on the Cathedral campus. The silent and art auctions begin at 5 p.m. with dinner and the live auction starting at 7 p.m.
Helping Honduras
In Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, more than 200 children scavenge through garbage looking for sellable items and food to help support their families.
Washington Cathedral, with the help of pastors Rey and Elise Diaz, supports a locally led development project called, “Amor, Fe y Esperanza” (Love, Faith and Hope), referred to as AFE, a holistic school for children in the garbage dump.
The school gives a pathway out of a life of scavenging and provides help and support for families of the dump. The kids who attend the school have nutritious meals throughout the week and are taught by a dedicated group of educators. Without these meals, the children would be lucky to have a meager meal of rice and beans and may go 2 to 3 days without any food at all.
“We have worked hard to make sure the students finish their education and escape from the garbage dump,” said Rey, Washington Cathedral’s lead pastor in residence in Honduras. “Of the 185 students at AFE, about half still work in the garbage dump in the afternoons and on weekends. The others have been convinced to focus on school or to find other jobs. Most of the kids are third-generation garbage workers meaning their grandparents and parents both worked in the garbage dump. It is all they know. But what I know is that God has incredible and amazing plans for their lives and our goal is to help them reach those plans.”
The goal for the mission auction will be to raise enough funding to continue the feeding program and to finish a cafeteria facility that is nearing completion.
Donations welcomed
Tickets for the auction are $40. Half of the $40 fee will be given as a donation to the school with the other half funding the dinner and both silent and live auctions.
Participation and donations from the community are encouraged. Donations include gift certificates to fancy restaurants, private parties, boating trips, theater tickets and times shares.
If you have something you wish to donate or would like to participate in the auction, contact the church office at (425) 869-5433 as soon as possible. The deadline for donations is May 29.
