Core Values:

•  All children were given life by God and are worthy of respect and unconditional love.

•  All children have a right to food, shelter, health care, and protection from abuse and exploitation.

•  It is our collective moral obligation to advocate and care for orphans in need utilizing the resources at our disposal.

•  Orphans should be safely reintegrated into their communities and, where possible, their families.

•  Local Christian communities need to be enabled to carry out effective ministry to orphans in a manner that will benefit the orphans and the community at large.

In December 1995 Jack O'Neill and board member Chris Neilson visited Romanian orphanages.  Their hearts were shaken by what they saw and they became determined to help change these children's desperate and miserable lives.  Teams were sent to help repair the facilities, provide encouragement to the kids and staff, and to provide food, clothing, medicine, and more.

In 1998 Hope Teams was officially established and expanded its work to Honduras and the Ukraine. Our focus is the neediest street kids and orphans. We have recently begun a new project in Kenya with HIV/AIDS orphans.

Vision Statement:
We seek to assist in the creation a world where orphaned children live in caring communities in which their basic life needs met, they are free to receive an education and to worship, they know they are safe, loved, and belong, and they have hope for a better future.

Mission Statement:
Hope Teams International promotes the well-being of the children who live on the streets or in state-run orphanages by providing relief, work teams, and partnering with local communities to present the gospel of Jesus Christ and carry out the day-to-day care to these children.

Our Strategy:
Partnerships: HTI partners with indigenous churches and agencies to carry out culturally appropriate relief, evangelism and discipleship to the orphans and street kids in their communities. In the U.S. we raise awareness of the plight of orphans, gather financial and human resources, train and deploy work teams, and provide funding to and administrative oversight of our partners to help them more effectively meet the needs of those children they minister to, and their communities.

Sustainability: HTI facilitates our partners and their communities to become self-sufficient in ministering to orphans as well as deal with the root causes of abandonment, poverty, health care, and education. We do this by initially purchasing as much of our supplies as possible in the local communities, and assisting with the development of microeconomic projects and with leadership development.

Multiplication: HTI assists our partners to work with other local churches, communities and governments to replicate their efforts in reaching the orphans in those other communities.