When you hear the words \u201cParadise Neighborhood\u201d, what comes to mind? I picture a resort town, where every mansion has a private beach. In my version of Paradise Neighborhood, citizens relax in their pools under the shade of a palm tree, sipping iced lemonade, all day, every day.<\/p>\n
That dreamy picture is not the reality in the Paradise Neighborhood of Soledad, Columbia. This neighborhood houses about 1700 families in tiny homes, either made of cinder blocks and tile roofs or wood and cardboard homes with grass roofs. Many of these tiny structures house multiple families. 30% of the population is unemployed but receives minimal government aide, while another 50% of the population is living in poverty, without hope for employment or assistance from the government.<\/p>\n
There is a small seed of hope in Paradise Neighborhood \u2013 it is called Master\u2019s Workshop, a business owned and operated by the Paradise Covenant Church. The goal of Master\u2019s Workshop is to be a thriving small business that produces decorative artwork, provides vocational training, offers employment, and contributes positively to the dire economic situation in the neighborhood and community by designating the profits to help the outreach ministries and the outreach social projects of the Paradise Covenant Church. Master\u2019s Workshop employs youth from the neighborhood, and 100% of their profits are added to the tithes and offerings of the church. This money is then used to reach the poor, the powerless, and the marginalized in the Paradise Neighborhood.<\/p>\n