Letter from Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones

Over the years, we have been touched by personal stories about individuals facing urgent needs, whether for medical care, personal safety, education, food and shelter or other services that we take for granted. In these cases, we often wished that we had the resources available to meet some of those needs, especially when they involved children who through no fault of their own found themselves in intolerable situations involving abuse or physical or mental disability or simply unsafe living conditions. This is where our hearts are. We have always known that our lives have been blessed by God beyond anything we deserved. As custodians of what He has provided, we are called to share our resources with those around us who lack the same resources. In 2006, with a lot of thought and great joy, we were able to establish The Rees-Jones Foundation to be an instrument by which we could begin to fulfill this call.

Our mission is simple. We want to serve God by serving others and in the process, enable others to experience the love of Christ in very tangible ways. We do this not out of any sense of obligation but out of a desire to share something which we have received with others so that they too may experience God’s love, develop a hope for the future and even come to experience a personal relationship with our Lord. There are no strings attached. We do what we do in response to what He has done for us. As responsible stewards, we want to use the resources in our custody in ways that are productive and that achieve sustainable positive outcomes. Sometimes just relieving someone’s immediate suffering or removing an obstacle that blocks an individual’s advancement is enough of a positive outcome for us. There are problems in our world that we will not be able to fix in our lifetimes. But there is hope for the future and we want to do what we can to rekindle hope for those we assist.

One of the blessings we enjoy is the passion of those who lead the organizations that perform the services needed by so many. We marvel at their energy, their dedication, their creativity and their ability to do so much with whatever resources are provided. We want to be their partners; we want to share their successes; and we want to be a support when they are stretched. These leaders deserve all the credit although they too would be the first to say they do not work for the credit that comes their way. That is why it brings us so much joy to be their partners. They want to see improvement in the lives of the individuals served and in our society at large. Our thanks go to them as we seek to encourage them in the work they do.

Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones