Recovery continues in Haiti following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake which shook the island nation last summer. The earthquake claimed more than 2,200 lives, injured 12,000, and damaged or destroyed more than 130,000 homes. Convoy of Hope’s response has now served more than 341,000 survivors across 389 communities and delivered more than 513 tons of food, hygiene kits, medical supplies, sheltering material, and other necessities to those in need.
Responding to Washington Flooding
On the weekend of November 13, high winds and heavy rain hit the northwestern United States. Some areas received a month’s worth of rain in less than three days. The storm left more than 150,000 homes without power.
Sumas, Washington, and other towns adjacent to the Sumas and Nooksack Rivers received the brunt of the damage as the rivers burst over their banks, swallowing roads and houses alike.
“The majority of homes and structures in that town have been damaged or destroyed,” said Stacy Lamb of Convoy’s Disaster Services team. “It’s devastating there.”
With the help of local partners, Convoy of Hope provided relief supplies to individuals across the disaster zone. Volunteers helped distribute food, water, baby care kits, and cleanup supplies.
Buccaneers Serve Tampa
On November 16, the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, alongside punter and kickoff specialist Bradley Pinion, teamed up to host a Community Event with Convoy of Hope. The event took place in the Buccaneers’ hometown at Mission Hill Church.
“I’ve been partnering with Convoy of Hope since my rookie year and am so thankful that I can bring the Convoy Nation Pro-Series Community Event to the Tampa community,” said Bradley. “My wife, Kaeleigh, and I are looking forward to serving families. Any family who needs help is welcome.”
Through this event, Convoy and the Buccaneers provided hope and relief to thousands of guests by distributing groceries, socks, hygiene kits, and more.
I felt discouraged and sad because I could only do so little to help my family, and my kids were hungry,” Lagina said.
Until recently, Lagina's family of four in Guatemala lived on just $7 per day. But when she and her family received seeds and life-changing education through the Agriculture program, their poverty and hunger became things of the past. After studying proper agricultural techniques and money management, they started a business.
“I have hope for my kids now, and I feel happy that I can do something for them,” Lagina said. “Thank you, Convoy of Hope and the Agriculture team, for giving us hope and a reason to live.”
Women's Empowerment
"Raising my five children was almost impossible,” Amara said.
Amara is a hard-working, single mother from Ethiopia. When she and her husband separated, Amara struggled to provide for her family.
The Women’s Empowerment program provided Amara with resources and strategic training in marketing, budgeting, and customer service.
This helped her to start and grow a new business. Amara now sells shoes, clothes, and accessories from her well-decorated, brightly colored boutique.
“Previously, I had no knowledge or confidence to run a business,” she said. “The training was an eye-opening experience.”
With a new home, a new storefront, and a new outlook on life, Amara can dream while providing for her loved ones. She plans to use her growing success to give to others and spread hope throughout her community.
About 1,000 friends came together on October 27 to dedicate Convoy of Hope’s new World Distribution Center. “This building is not simply a warehouse,” said Convoy President Hal Donaldson. “It’s much more than that. I can assure you that every can of soup and every box of cereal that leaves this place will carry with it a promise — a promise to children and families — that tomorrow can be better than today.”
Convoy’s 150-plus acres in the heart of Missouri offer access to two highways and allow rapid and effective crisis response. “I couldn’t be more proud to have it here in Missouri,” Governor Mike Parson said at the World Distribution Center dedication. “If there’s one thing that we ought to hang our hats on about who we are — of our heart, of our passion, of how we care about people — this demonstrates it.” Former Missouri Governor Jay Nixon echoed that conviction: “Convoy of Hope’s incredible worldwide network every day brings love and healing throughout the world. This mission has given ‘love thy neighbor’ a new meaning.”
“COVID unearthed not only the prevalence of poverty, but the complexities behind it,” said Heath Adamson, Convoy of Hope’s vice president of Global Program. “Difficult-to-measure factors emerged, such as the global supply chain, the ripple effect of inflation, and collisions between anti-poverty efforts and human nature. Fortunately, what was once hidden or ignored is being seen and addressed.”
Over the past two years, as Convoy saw more people and more organizations willing to get involved, advances were made. There was an increase in volunteerism. The number of churches and businesses partnering with Convoy continued to grow. Amazingly, during very difficult years for individuals and businesses, donations also increased.
The pandemic both solidified and shifted strategies as the organization learned to pivot while remaining adaptable and accessible. For example, Convoy of Hope’s annual Community Event in Chicago had always been at a single location. That was shifted to a series of drive-thru points of distribution, allowing even more families to receive groceries and other resources.
Convoy of Hope and partner Mission of Hope provide resources to Pastor Samuel Lucien in Haiti. During the pandemic, he saw new opportunities to connect with people in need. “We bring food, of course, we bring medical supplies. But we will also bring hope. And believe me, this hope has been accepted,” Pastor Samuel said.
Partnerships grew in areas hard hit by the pandemic. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his wife, Ashley, worked with Convoy to feed families in her Pennsylvania hometown. Convoy’s mission — a driving passion to feed the world — continued to advance across the U.S. and around the world.
Beyond the food provided by corporate partners, Convoy trained new farmers to increase local harvests.
“The lockdowns made me feel alone,” said Hector in El Salvador. He joined Convoy’s Agriculture initiative during the pandemic, learned to grow produce, and put in place solid agribusiness practices. Hector’s hope grew alongside his crops.
In Kenya, with a drought on top of the pandemic, Lela’s dreams seemed out of reach. “I had no business training as I have never gone to school and [had] no capital to start a business,”she said.
Lela joined the Women’s Empowerment program. Her dreams of a better life were realized as she learned how to breed and herd goats, manage her finances, and realize her own self-worth. “It opened my eyes to what women can do,” she said.
As poverty bubbled to the surface, even in America, donors’ generosity continued to pour out. As a result, people living in survival mode to just get by saw more of their neighbors coming to their aid — more people truly seeing them.
“During the early days of the pandemic, most looked inward, thinking about how they could survive,” said Rick Waggoner, Convoy of Hope senior vice president and chief development officer. “I watched our team mobilize resources and use their expertise to deliver more than 200 million meals to families in need.”
Convoy is seeing the generosity experienced during the pandemic steadily grow. The organization is continuing to serve families in need thanks to supporters, partners, volunteers, and team members.
Partners Against Hunger
Since 2013, the Kellogg Company has been a generous partner of Convoy of Hope, providing more than 1,400 truckloads of food valued at $75 million. In 2021, they donated more than 200 truckloads as Convoy continued to address food insecurity and other pandemic-related challenges across the United States.
Kellogg’s products are a staple at Convoy of Hope Community Events, and Kellogg Company is quick to respond when food is sent into disaster zones. After the December 10 tornadoes in the U.S., seven truckloads of Kellogg’s products were distributed.
Kellogg’s generosity is also helping provide hope in rural communities and through events, such as January’s joint projects with the NFL and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Born to Give
By Mary Vogen
Dr. Sally Sidman and her husband live in Indiana, where she works in emergency medicine at a local hospital. Because of the daunting challenges of COVID-19, Sally is keenly aware of human need worldwide.
“I first became involved with Convoy of Hope after I found them on Charity Navigator,” she says. “I met with Convoy’s local representative and attended a Vision Summit event, where I learned so much more. I was moved to see how people were helped through a disaster but also given skills to learn how to sustain themselves. It’s wonderful to cover the immediate need and the long-term need.”
Years ago in medical school, Sally could only pledge $10 to charity. “For me, that was a lot of money at the time,” she says. “Some people think, ‘If you can’t do something big, don’t do anything at all.’ But something small can do so much and change a person’s life entirely. I hope that others will consider doing something today.”
When Sally learned about the charitable gift annuity philanthropic strategy, she discovered two advantages for her personal situation. “It allowed me to have some money to support myself as I grow old and not have to depend later on my kids,” she says. “It’s also the perfect way to give more to charity. I’ll receive guaranteed income while I’m alive, and I’ll be able to leave something behind to Convoy of Hope.”
For more information about charitable gift annuities and other strategies to maximize your giving, email hopesociety@convoyofhope.org.
