Since 2012, Jessa (Veldhuizen) Dieter ('11), former student and ERA employee, has lived on and off in Bolivia, the poorest country in South America, volunteering at an orphanage. In 2016, she and her sister Ellie Veldhuizen ('13) along with Anelise Schrammen ('11) co-founded a non-profit called Anchor of Hope.

The organization works with kids living on the streets of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, mainly of the ages 8-24. Many sleep under bridges over the city’s drainage canals, where drug and alcohol addiction is a big problem and makes it hard for them to leave the streets. Anchor of Hope does street outreach, has a community center, and does a lot of follow-up care with the kids.

Jessa is currently the stateside admin for Anchor of Hope. She and her family visit once