About As the Stars of the Sky Foundation, Inc.
“It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
-Frederick Douglass
In 2012, Soraya established As the Stars of the Sky Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation to assist with the physical and spiritual needs of children, centering on promoting literacy.
The idea for the foundation stems from Soraya's passion for ministering to and educating children. It is her firm belief that "Reading helps children achieve their divine destinies," and reading books about God and His love for us is one of the most important ways to get to know God and have a close relationship with Him. If a child does not have good literacy skills, the child will never be able to achieve what God desires for him/her.
As a judge presiding over juvenile and adult criminal cases, Soraya observed the poor literacy skills of the people coming through the justice system, especially young African American and Hispanic men. Soraya firmly believes that more needs to be done to promote the importance of literacy in developing the entire child and reducing crime rates.
The name, "As the Stars of the Sky," comes from various verses in the Bible which emphasize faith. In Chapter 22 of Genesis, God told Abraham that, because of his faithfulness, God would bless him and all his descendants, who would be as many as the stars of heaven.
Chapter 11 of Hebrews lists the great heroes of faith. Of course, Abraham is listed among them. It reiterates Abraham's faithfulness and emphasizes that, because of his faithfulness, Abraham was blessed and from him would come descendants "as numerous as the stars of the sky."
Many people do not realize that children are among Abraham's descendants. We actually think that "descendants" simply refers to adults, but that is not correct.
“Therefore, from one man (Abraham)…were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude…innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.”
-Hebrews 11:12 (NKJV)
There is no doubt that Jesus loved children. The Bible states that Jesus was actually displeased when He saw how they were preventing children from coming to Him (Mark 10:13). Jesus once took a little child and held him in His arms. He said that anyone who welcomed a child in His name welcomed not only Jesus, but also God the Father (Mark 9:36-37).
Jesus also said that we are not to look down on children as their angels in heaven always see the face of God in heaven (Matthew 18:10).
“Reading helps children achieve their divine destinies.”
-Author Soraya Diase Coffelt
Giving Back & Helping to Fight Poverty, Gender Inequality & Poor Health Through Promoting Literacy
As the Stars of the Sky Foundation, Inc. is a 501 (3)(c) nonprofit foundation in the U. S. Virgin Islands. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent provided by the Internal Revenue Code. Donations and proceeds from book sales will be used to promote the importance of literacy in a child's life - to overcome poverty, gender inequality & poor health. We greatly appreciate your support!
About
As The Stars of the Sky Foundation’s Founder Soraya Diase Coffelt
"Reading helps children achieve their divine destinies."
- Soraya Diase Coffelt
“If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God.”
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt is a native of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. She is a mother of two sons, lawyer and former judge. She was a caregiver to her late husband Gordon Coffelt, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, for many years until he passed away. He supported her wholeheartedly in her endeavors.
Active in her church, she served as a parent volunteer and then a volunteer lay minister in the Children's Ministry for over 15 years.
She has also participated on mission trips providing food, medicine, clothing and other necessary items to people in need in Honduras and the Amazon River Region of Peru. She frequently helps feed homeless and hungry people in the U. S. Virgin Islands and whenever she travels.
Soraya understands the critical importance of literacy. Her parents both spoke English as a second language and profoundly believed that English is the language of opportunity. They had their 5 daughters speak only English at home. Understanding the importance of the ability to read, her mother taught her to read at a very early age and Soraya started first grade at the age of 4, already more advanced than the other students in her class. She ultimately graduated as valedictorian of her high school class and attended college and law school.
She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior as a child and credits that as well as her mother teaching her to read as a young child as the foundation for her ultimate success in life. Her love for God and children has led her to write children’s books and promote the importance of literacy in a child’s life.
For more information on the author, read a recent interview by CLICKING HERE.
Soraya Recommends
Christian Women Friends is a place for women to connect with one another, to share thoughts, life stories, ask questions, request prayers, share life experiences and to find encouragement, inspiration and spiritual growth. This is a great blog with a lot of wonderful resources: Christian Women Friends
Giving Back & Helping to Fight Poverty, Gender Inequality & Poor Health Through Promoting Literacy
As the Stars of the Sky Foundation, Inc. is a 501 (3)(c) nonprofit foundation in the U. S. Virgin Islands. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent provided by the Internal Revenue Code. Donations and proceeds from book sales will be used to promote the importance of literacy in a child's life - to overcome poverty, gender inequality & poor health. We greatly appreciate your support!
