By Greg Halbleib

BLOOMINGTON – The need for food, shelter, healthcare and more keeps growing in Kenya, and a Bloomington-based ministry that has been serving that area for the last decade is asking for help.

GOYA Ministries holds its annual fundraising banquet on Tuesday from 6 until 8 p.m. at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. Ministry founder Chad Parker said seeing conditions in the Kenyan slums led him to action 10 years ago.

“When you get over there and you see it, and you understand how real this need is and how deeply it hurts people, it’s hard to turn away from that and not be affected by it,” Parker said.

The founder also said the desire to do something led to the ministry’s name.

“I said, look, we know this kind of injustice exists in the world,” Parker said. “Sometimes we just need to get off our butts and do something about it.”

GOYA is an acronym for another phrasing of getting off of one’s backside.

Funds raised will help expand an orphanage in Nairobi as well as operate schools and churches and provide clean water, food and health care. The program will also feature a visit from the two Nairobi residents who head the relief efforts supported by GOYA Ministries. An anonymous donor will match all funds raised for Tuesday’s event up to $200,000.

More information is at goyaministries.org.

Greg Halbleib can be reached at [email protected].