Donor Voices: The Newmanns Give for a Hopeful Future
Ron and Lue Newmann have spent their lives making the world a better place. Their efforts will leave a lasting impact in communities around the world.
Leadership donors like the Newmanns make our work possible around the world. If you would like to support Project HOPE at a leadership level, click here.
Ron and Lue Newmann remember the historic SS HOPE hospital ship and have supported Project HOPE for nearly two decades. But the theme of helping today to shape someone’s tomorrow is what surfaces when you speak to them.
When asked why they give to Project HOPE, the idea of transforming lives and making sustainable change was the answer.
“Project HOPE’s mission in general. It is one of those organizations that affects the future of others,” Ron says.
Their desire to help someone have a better tomorrow has taken many forms. In the late seventies, the Newmanns raised puppies to be guide dogs for the blind.
“It’s a big deal for the person receiving the guide dog—a different impact,” Ron says, noting it was also very fun.
Today, they support a local college and like to give to scholarship funds that impact a person’s future by making an education possible.
“I really feel for people who are marginalized, on the edge,” Ron says.
Regarding Project HOPE specifically, Lue says, “I like the fact they go out and do things. Project HOPE reaches a lot of people.”
These days, Ron and Lue are spending their time walking or taking the occasional boat trip on a nearby lake versus raising puppies. This year has brought a quieter routine for sure. But they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in June and feel very fortunate.
“We’ve been blessed,” Ron says. For this reason, they choose to give to others.
“If you can give something, you should,” he says. “There’s a lot of joy in giving—if you make it better for one person or 10, someone is better because of you.”
Ron and Lue Newmann have also placed Project HOPE in their estate plans. If you would like to be a member of our Legacy of HOPE Society but need more information, please contact the Office of Gift Planning at giftplanning@projecthope.org or 1-800-544-HOPE. For more information on the Legacy of HOPE Society, click here.