For Erik and Carla Schneider, Hope Equity offers a way to feel more personally connected to the different causes that they support.

The Schneiders support the life-changing work of Heifer International both physically, through their local area volunteer network, and financially, through their Micro-Endowment with Hope Equity.

Heifer International is a non-profit organization that has alleviated hunger and poverty around the world for more than 60 years by helping poor families achieve self-sufficiency through sustainable livestock and agricultural projects.

The Schneiders live in Bellevue, Washington, where Carla works as an assistant manager at an assisted living facility and Erik works as a software engineer. They are both very involved in their community and church. They first heard of Heifer’s work at an event at their church in 2002.

“It wasn’t until a couple of months later that I looked on the Web site, and I was hooked,” Carla said.

As the Schneiders made donations to Heifer they would receive inspiring information about the different projects in the field. Carla has even had the opportunity to visit Heifer projects in Honduras.

“I still get goose bumps thinking about it. It was just really amazing to see not just that their material status had improved, but the pride in those women’s faces was astounding and very touching,” she said.

Erik said they were soon drawn to Hope Equity because it was a more permanent and secure way to support the work of Heifer International.

“With Hope Equity you can track the money you gave,” he said. “We really like that idea.”

Each month the Schneiders give to two different areas through their Micro-Endowment. One is usually the Ghana Country Endowment, because they both feel personally connected to the country and its people. Then the other area they give to is determined by what’s going on around the world, and in their lives, at that moment.

“If something is happening in China like with the recent Earthquakes, we might choose to give to that endowment. If it is Earth Day we might give to an environmental endowment, or even gender equity for Mother’s Day,” he said. “That’s why we love Hope Equity; you can make those choices.”

The Schneiders have also found other unique ways to further their family’s commitment to ending hunger. After reading the statistic that one child dies every five seconds due to hunger, Carla decided to auction off her diamond wedding ring. The proceeds of the auction were then put into a new Micro-Endowment selected by the buyers of the ring.

The Schneiders are a modest couple whose only hope was that their story of auctioning off their wedding ring would inspire others to do something in some way to help end hunger and poverty.

“Years down the road somebody might come across something of value to them and think of what they could do with it (to help end hunger and poverty),” Erik said.

For more information on Heifer International, visit www.heifer.org.