Hope and Robert F. Smith Announce Matching Grant Challenge for Unlikely Heroes GoFundMe Campaign

Funds will support the purchase of a new home for non-profit that rescues children from slavery

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hope and Robert F. Smith of Austin, TX today announced a $250,000 matching grant challenge to support Unlikely Heroes, a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides rescue and safe harbor for children around the world who are enslaved. Unlikely Heroes operates home sites in the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and the United States, but will be losing the lease on their U.S. home on May 31^st. The Smiths will match the organization’s GoFundMe campaign dollar-for-dollar up to $250,000. These funds will allow Unlikely Heroes to purchase a permanent home to continue this critically important work.

The Unlikely Heroes GoFundMe campaign can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/goldieshouse

“Unlikely Heroes quietly does some of the hardest, most heroic work on the planet,” said Hope Smith. “With limited resources, they rescue children from the most appalling conditions and provide them a safe, loving and supportive place to live and reclaim their lives, identities and humanity. The thought of Unlikely Heroes losing their U.S. home is heartbreaking, and we need to take action immediately. I can’t think of a better way to honor Mother’s Day than to support Unlikely Heroes at this moment of emergency need.”

Erica Greve, CEO of Unlikely Heroes, said, “The children in our U.S. home were all rescued from a life of slavery, and after overcoming a great deal of challenges, they are finally stable and settled into a routine of home life, school, community service and healing. They are doing so well. We need to do everything we can to continue supporting and nurturing them. We are so grateful for Hope and Robert Smith’s generosity, and urge everyone to do whatever they can to help us during this critical time.”

About Unlikely Heroes

Unlikely Heroes is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to rescuing and restoring child victims out of sex slavery. Since 2011, we have rescued 275 children out of slavery, and we have established ourselves as global leaders in the field. We currently operate 5 full-time restoration homes in 4 nations; the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and the United States. Our holistic, cross-cultural individualized care model, developed through extensive fieldwork, has made Unlikely Heroes pioneers in the rescue and restoration of child victims of slavery.