Birthdays are a great time to reflect and celebrate a new year of life. It is also a time of gift giving and making someone’s wish come true. Do you recall a birthday wish you had that was intangible? Something that could have a meaningful and lasting positive impact on your life? We recently had the pleasure of meeting a man named Dalton Noack, who had an extraordinary birthday wish.
Dalton was turning 84 years old this year and when asked what he wanted for his birthday, Dalton simply replied, “I want to see Star of Hope!”
Dalton and his wife have devoted their lives to missionary work abroad. Having served in many countries around the world, Dalton felt that there was one more place he needed to see and that was Star of Hope Mission. His one birthday wish came true on May 20, as he toured Star of Hope Mission’s Women and Family Development Center at it’s Cornerstone Community® campus.
Before the tour started, Dalton noticed a young woman sitting alone in the reception area of the Brown Visitors Center. He greeted her and asked for her name. She replied cheerfully, explaining that she was a resident and began to share her story of homelessness and how Star of Hope put her on a path to new life! Dalton was very touched by her story of perseverance. Throughout the rest of the tour, he greeted residents and thanked staff members for their service.
As the tour concluded, Dalton was asked what made him interested in wanting to visit the Star of Hope. He replied, “Well, I like the word HOPE. Isn’t that a great word? To me HOPE is ‘Helping Others Prepare for Eternity.”’ Dalton went on to say that when he asks people if they have hope, it opens a door for him to use his acronym and tell others about Jesus.
Dalton is incredibly kind, personable, and a thoughtful Star of Hope supporter whose story shows the mutually beneficial impact Star of Hope can have on people’s lives, residents, donors, volunteers alike. Dalton was able to witness the great work being done here through God’s people. The amount of lives we touch every day are possible because of thoughtful supporters like Dalton and YOU! Thank you!