Acorn2Oaks, Inc.
Acorn2Oaks (A2O) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the USA. A2O was created by Bill & Susie Antolec in 2007 in preparation for their move from the USA to Thailand in 2009. The primary purpose of A2O is to have oversight for Bill & Susie as they pursue ministry activities in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia. Additionally, A2O serves as a conduit for donating money to assist Bill & Susie in their ministry efforts in Thailand.
The A2O board chairperson is John Hoogerbugge. He and his wife Dawn have extensive mission experience having served for 7 years in Morocco in Northern Africa. They have been faithful friends to Bill & Susie for more than 20 years and have traveled to Thailand several times. Each trip helps them to understand better the needs of the students served by the Shoulder-to-Shoulder Foundation allowing them to advise Bill & Susie and relay information to the rest of the A2O board.
Shoulder-to-Shoulder Foundation
Shoulder-to-Shoulder Foundation (S2S) is a Thai foundation that was founded in 2001. It’s purpose was and still is to assist very poor Thai students helping them to get an education that will allow them to break the bonds of poverty that have been holding their families back for many generations. Several years after its beginning, S2S began helping a number of HIV Families who were struggling with major health issues.
S2S is located in the subdS2S Vision…istrict of Nanglae just north of the city of Chiang Rai, Thailand. We are less than 1 km from Mengrai Middle and High School and between the 2 major universities – Chiang Rai Rajabaht University and Mae Fa Luang University.S2S is about making disciples. We come alongside our students and HIV families to bring them to a knowledge and understanding of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. We do this through long term relationships and teaching the Bible, which we believe to be God’s story!
- For our students: we provide scholarships for school and a place to live. Students come from nearby mountain villages. We focus first on orphans, second on families with only one parent and third everyone else. All these families are desperately poor. Most of these students would not be able to continue their education without our help. We believe education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty in their families.
- For our HIV families: we provide supplemental food and encouragement. Most of them were too sick to work when we first met them. Now, because of better nutrition, HIV medication, and spiritual growth, most of them are able to work and be somewhat self-supporting.
Staff – Leaders of S2S…
Bill & Susie serve as ministry leaders and parents in the main house called Baan Ruth (Baan means house)
Asanee & Baw serve as Thai staff. They are in training to be the future Thai leaders of the S2S Ministry.
