In 1909, Florence Drew arrived in Hong Kong with $40 in her pocket, her typewriter under her arm, and no promised income. As a typist in Chicago, she learned to tell stories. Using her talents, knowledge, and entrepreneurial spirit, Florence Drew found a way to support herself through interviewing and writing about the people whom she met. Drew lived among the "Boat People"  on the Canton and Pearl River Valley. Too impoverished to own land, the Boat People were forced to live in horrible conditions on riverboats.  Not only did the Boat People lack access to the gospel, but they also lacked access to healthcare and education. 

 

By telling their stories to a global audience, Drew reminded the Boat People of their innate dignity as children of God. As a result of her work, she founded the South China Boat Mission, an organization that established 40 boat ministries and shared the good news of Jesus Christ with thousands of people. It also established a hospital and numerous schools to serve this community. The ripple effects of Drew's faithfulness didn't stop there: as communism spread through China, the South China Boat Mission expanded to other boat people in Japan, Bangkok, and Mauritius. Presently, over 700 churches can be traced back to Florence Drew's ministry. 

 

We established the Drew Foundation to honor the work and ministry of Florence Drew. We believe that the Drew Foundation captures the essence of her entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to follow a faithful God to communities that have yet to know the transforming love of Jesus Christ.