What is Hope?
“People need hope to live. There are many stories of people living in very desperate situations, but with hope they were able to endure. Being gainfully employed is one way that people experience hope. And work brings a sense of self worth, accomplishment, and purpose. We believe that the gospel is the ultimate source of hope. But that doesn’t mean that hope through employment is antithetical to the gospel, we believe it is complementary. In the same way that Jesus commended those that had given a cup of water in Jesus’ name, so a job, given in Jesus’ name can accomplish similar restorative properties. Hope Chocolates is focused on building a business that gainfully employs people to provide them with hope and demonstrate the power of God’s transforming grace.”
A Word on Fair Trade
The global chocolate industry has been plagued with terrible human rights violations in the past. Hope Chocolates believes very strongly in the fundamental premise of the dignity and intrinsic value of men and women as beautiful creations of God. That is the primary reason for starting Hope Chocolates. We do not buy directly from cacao bean farmers; we buy from suppliers who process the cacao beans. We have reviewed our supplier’s Fair Trade programs, their materials, and we are working to review their Fair Trade certifications. Through our suppliers internal programs, their alliances, and coalitions they have been able to provide increased visibility and traceability into the cacao bean harvesting practices. They testify that no cases of trafficking or forced labor have been detected on the farms that they partner with since the monitoring started over 8 years ago. As we grow, we hope that we will be able to exert more influence for good in the industry.