ANDERSON, S.C. - In Orlando, Cassie Ketchum is known for her athleticism. Graduating from Boone High School in the Sunshine State, Ketchum participated in four sports and excelled in all of them, especially basketball. This fall, Ketchum will join the Anderson University women's basketball program as a freshman, looking to help add to the team's recent success.
Before her focus will be needed in classrooms and on the basketball court, Ketchum turned her attention to a group of people who do not know about her athleticism, her background story or even who she was. Through her local church in Orlando, Ketchum volunteered with Mission of Hope in Tatanyen, Haiti, a small village north of the capital, Port-au-Prince, an area that was greatly affected by a large earthquake in 2010.
Founded in 1998, Mission of Hope has helped rebuild Tatanyen and other surrounding areas across the country's landscape. Since its founding, MOH has worked with the University of Oklahoma by sending 31 student-athletes to join the cause, as well as National Football League kicker Jay Feely. As of June, MOH has completed 449 permanent homes for families displaced from the deadly 2010 earthquake and are working to build roughly 200 more for waiting families.
Away from the constructions, MOH feeds over 90,000 children per day in partnership with Convoy of Hope and Feed My Starving Children, educates 5,000 students on 13 campuses and sees over 28,000 people per year in its clinics in 17 villages.
Ketchum was inspired by the MOH program and wanted to help, but playing AAU Basketball throughout the summer, she was unable to make the trip during her high school years. Once graduated and already set to attend AU in the fall, Ketchum took full advantage of the opportunity.
"Mission of Hope is an awesome organization and they are doing huge things for Haiti and the people there," Ketchum said. "Everything about Haiti is in desperate need of help, from the unemployment rate and food scarcity to its land and vegetation. I was super excited to have this amazing opportunity this summer and help Mission of Hope in any way that I could."
Arriving in Haiti on July 4, Ketchum was put right to work by volunteering with Vacation Bible School and playing with the local children. The connection she experienced with the local children began to grow on the future Trojan, as she spent time extra time with the local children being invited into their homes.
"My favorite part of the trip was playing with the kids there," Ketchum said. "Being able to show them the love of Christ by loving them, playing games and soccer with them, singing VBS songs with them, and holding their hands as we walked house to house around the villages was such a great time. Their joyful spirits and eagerness to be with us in whatever we were doing was very enjoyable."
In addition to spending time with the children, Ketchum also talked with the local people and listened to their stories and experiences. Ketchum distributed "hygiene kits" to the locals, which held toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and clean clothes, as she asked each family what more could they do. From each response of each family, MOH would document the needs to help provide a better future for Tatanyen citizens. In addition to the kits, Ketchum also provided solar lights and fruit trees after raising more than enough fund raising money.
"Another favorite part of the trip was meeting local Haitians who were believers and hearing their testimonies," Ketchum added. "Some of the stories I heard were truly incredible and humbling."
After spending a week in the Caribbean country, Ketchum returned to the United States on July 11 with a new outlook on life. Ready to tackle the always challenging first year of college, the standout on the basketball court will have a new perspective when facing her problems.
