VIRGINIA – Operation Blessing is in Buchanan County, Virginia, providing aid to the elderly after a flood. This is part of a larger relief effort for the thousands of residents across the county who’ve been affected by recent flooding. The disaster occurred mid-July and did untold amounts of damage to the area.
Operation Blessing responded to help beleaguered residents who found themselves displaced from their homes and without basic services. Teams have helped provide food, supplies, and manpower to those in need.
We’ve recently been at the residence of Mrs. Beulah Laime, a victim of the flooding. Her home was impacted when raging floodwaters deposited massive amounts of mud, sticks, and flood debris underneath. This, of course, poses a risk to the foundation of her home. Operation Blessing has been helping her and others in her area to remove the debris so they can get back to normal.
Her daughter Julie was overwhelmed at the response of Operation Blessing volunteers coming to provide aid to the elderly after the flood. The Operation Blessing team and disaster volunteers diligently cleared the flood debris both to protect the structure and to make the home accessible for electricity restoration.
Beulah has received a tremendous blessing, thanks to friends like you. Yet, there’s still much to do, and it is only possible with your help!
INDIA – There’s no question that coming alongside budding entrepreneurs can change lives and transform communities. In India, where approximately 70 percent of the population lives in villages, rural women play an essential role in supporting their families and communities. Yet all too often, they lack the support needed to help them break out of poverty.
That’s where Operation Blessing microenterprise and skills training projects—along with your support—come into the picture. These special projects focus primarily on rural women in India, because they struggle the most among the poor. With the help of these groups, women have an opportunity to empower each other through encouragement, education, and financial assistance to achieve their goals for a better future.
Women Like Deepa For Example
Deepa is a young wife and mother who lives in the remote village of Khatima in northeastern India, a region that’s crossed by the Himalaya mountains. Her husband doesn’t have a steady income, and their two-acre farm can’t support this family of six. Watching her family struggle for years, Deepa knew she was their best hope.
Microenterprise And Skills Training Projects In India
Today, thanks to the generosity of friends like you, Deepa and her family are benefiting from skills training that has empowered her to run a small dairy farm. Along with the in-depth education on how to oversee her farm, Deepa has learned bookkeeping and other essential skills to run her business.
A small loan allowed her to buy two buffaloes and two goats, and within just a few months she was selling milk in her village — enabling her to help support her family and begin repaying the loan. She has also started growing organic vegetables on their property and making use of composting, to increase the quality and yield of her crops. Working with Operation Blessing has given Deepa and her family so much hope for the future.
“I am grateful to the field coordinators for the training I received under the Operation Blessing projects,” Deepa said. Deepa is a shining example of what microenterprise and skills training projects in India can do to help the lives of people in need.
Our extraordinary partners made it possible for Deepa to lead the way in her village, change her family’s future, and be an inspiration to her community. Thank you for making such a huge difference for these precious families in India!
POLAND – As early as 4:00 a.m., Kseniia and many other crisis victims arrive at Operation Blessing’s hunger relief distribution event in Krakow, Poland. Forced from their homes due to the Russian invasion, they are refugees in a foreign land.
Most are unemployed and lack a long-term plan as they bide their time in Poland. They need real, tangible assistance to get to tomorrow, and thanks to you, Operation Blessing is ready to help.
In Poland, however, helping refugees has become increasingly difficult due to a lack of funding. Thankfully, with the support of Operation Blessing partners, we’re linking arms with Fundacja On Life, Fundacja Nidaros, and DNA Church to distribute hundreds of bags of food to Ukraine crisis victims.
Hunger Relief Distribution Event In Kraków
Each bag of food supplies is enough to sustain a hurting family for at least two weeks. In addition to providing food and supplies, Operation Blessing is encouraging the hearts of crisis victims. Our team prayed for families at the hunger relief distribution event to show God’s love for them and lift their spirits in this difficult time.
Operation Blessing also partnered with Superbook to bless the children staying in different shelters with uplifting events and programs to bring them an extra dose of joy.
VIRGINIA – In mid July, a terrible storm producing dangerous floods hit Buchanan County in Northern Virginia. Residents were taken aback by the speed and volume of the floodwaters. “It almost looked like the sky opened up and just dumped on that area,” said Marcella who lives in the community.
Reports of homes affected by this disaster are still climbing above 400, with a quarter of those homes now destroyed or uninhabitable. Marcella has witnessed the devastation to neighborhoods firsthand, including the damaged houses of her co-worker and family members.
Soon after the storm, Operation Blessing teams were launched to offer supplies and volunteer help to Virginia flood victims. Thanks to our faithful volunteers and the support of friends like you, Emergency Food Kits were packed and ready to go to meet the needs of hurting residents. These meal kits last for days and do not require water or electricity. We are also mobilizing volunteer support to help community members restore their homes.
Marcella said, “It’s such a blessing for folks here in this nestled little mountains to have Operation Blessing come to our aid and to be able to donate supplies and their time to help others that they don’t even know.”
There is a lot of work still ahead for this community, but with your compassionate assistance, Operation Blessing is dedicated to continue blessing the people of Buchanan County.
NIGERIA – When 17-year-old Khalil was involved in a bad car accident, he suffered severe burns on his left foot. Sadly, as his body tried to heal from the injury, the burns contracted and his foot grew deformed. He couldn’t walk properly or use his foot as he should…until friends like you came long.
His father, Ahaji, said, “I watched helplessly as my son suffered. He could no longer wear shoes or play soccer, which he loved to play with his friends. This affected him even in his performance in school.”
For a young man like Khalil, the lifelong ramifications of his condition were devastating. Surgery was possible—and would have helped Khalil—but his parents with their six children and very limited income would never be able to afford the cost. “I have always thought that this was how my leg was going to be all my life,” Khalil said.
Life Changing Burn Surgery For Khalil
Then, Khalil’s uncle saw an advertisement for Operation Blessing’s Life-Changing Surgery program that restored their hope! In fact, friends like you came together to help change Khalil’s life by contributing to a special campaign to provide him with the burn surgery he needed.
Today, things look very different for Khalil’s future as he dreams of becoming a pharmacist. “Getting to know I would get the surgery to correct the deformity made me so happy,” he shared. “Thank you! … Now I can focus on my senior secondary school certificate examination.”
Ahaji said, “I want to thank almighty God for using your organization to help my son.”
Ahaji said, “I want to thank almighty God for using your organization to help my son.”
-Khalil’s Father Ahaji
Thanks to the compassion of Operation Blessing partners, Khalil and so many others in need of burn surgery have been given the gift of hope and a new lease on life. To learn how you can help a patient in need, visit ob.org/surgeries today!
UKRAINE – In wartime, life can turn upside down overnight. For Svitlana and her family, it did. And for many families like hers, the rebuilding will take years.
She recalls, “When the bombs hit our city, we spent the night in the basement. In the morning, our apartment was destroyed! It was completely gone.” It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to walk up the basement stairs after a sleepless night only to discover your home is missing—and memories are all that remain.
Before Russia invaded, Ukrainian citizens lived in peace. They were able to go to work without fearing for their lives or wondering if their children had a future. Svitlana gave people manicures; she helped women feel beautiful, providing for her children in the process—until that fateful day.
Her family had no choice but to flee the area and find safe haven. At last, they did, at a shelter in Lviv where you helped to meet them with love, support, and supplies for their daily needs. One of the primary struggles for families on the move is maintaining a sense of normalcy. Without routines, the smallest things can make people—especially children—feel insecure. That’s why Operation Blessing brought washers and dryers to the shelter to make simple, necessary tasks like washing clothes less of a burden.
Compassion For Struggling Ukrainian Refugees
Another way you showed your compassion was by bringing joy to the most vulnerable among struggling Ukrainian refugees: the little ones. One of the most normal—and wonderful—things in the world is having a birthday party, but children like Svitlana’s 8-year-old daughter skipped their birthdays when they fled for their lives. So Operation Blessing helped them celebrate right where they were—with food, festivities, and special gifts for each child.
You also made it possible to provide Svitlana with the tools she needed to earn a living while trying to start again. Now, with a complete manicure set in hand, she’s already taking steps to build a new future one client at a time.
Her words say it all: “I’m very grateful to Operation Blessing for getting me all the things I need to continue doing what I love. I’m very grateful to you.”
KENYA – Right now, a deadly drought is taking its toll in Kenya. So many families are facing starvation because their crops and livestock are dying from lack of water.
Kadzo, a single mother in Kenya with five children, was struggling even before the drought. “Since my husband passed away, life has become very difficult for me because I have to take care of the children’s needs, their food, clothes, and school fees all on my own,” she said.
She relied on her goats and crops to earn income and feed her family. But now, even those have passed away. “Finding food for my children has become very hard,” Kadzo told us. “Because of this drought situation, there are days we have slept hungry even for two days straight because we didn’t have any food.” And with the drought in Kenya only expected to get worse, Kadzo’s situation seemed hopeless.
Support For A Single Mother In Kenya
But that’s where Operation Blessing’s faithful partners like you stepped in. Your support provided a shipment of food deliveries to Kadzo’s village in Kenya. Every household received enough flour, cooking oil, and other essential food supplies to last an entire month!
However, there are still countless families who need help. Will you partner with Operation Blessing to bring food to the hungry in Kenya? For just $45, you can feed a family of five for an entire month. Visit ob.org/drought to bless hungry families in Kenya today!
HONDURAS – At the tender age of 8, Jesús is far too familiar with the struggle for clean drinking water. Jesús and his three brothers live with their grandmother in the remote community of La Cuchilla, Honduras. Sometimes they have access to small, dirty community wells, but when the pools dry up the nearby river is their only other option.
The river lies some distance away, and young Jesús takes it upon himself to make the long trek there to save his grandmother the burden. “Carrying water has been very difficult. I told my brothers, ‘Let’s help Grandma and get water from the river.’” But river water doesn’t solve their problems. In fact, it often makes them worse. The contaminated water can make people get sick from drinking it—including Jesús’ little brother.
“People who get sick because they drink that water get a fever and diarrhea,” he explained. “It hurt me to see my little brother so sick.”Then, in the heat of the summer, the unthinkable happens: The river dries up as well. “It made us want to cry, because we ran out of water for several days,” Jesús said. But help was on the way.
“People who get sick because they drink that water get a fever and diarrhea,” he explained. “It hurt me to see my little brother so sick.”
-Jesús’
Thanks to friends like you and our local partners, Operation Blessing constructed a new community water system. We revitalized an existing well, installed a water pump and chlorinator, and built a storage tank and distribution network of pipes. This method now brings clean drinking water to 145 homes, two schools, and three churches! An excited Jesús said, “Now that we have water, we are not thirsty!”
His grandmother also expressed her thanks to those who made this project possible. “Now we have water near us. My grandchildren can bathe. I can wash their clothes. I thank the Lord that we no longer are suffering. We are so grateful for the project.”Because of our compassionate partners, Jesús and the rest of his community will have consistent access to clean water right from their homes. Additionally, hygiene and sanitation training will help them remain healthier—enabling children to attend school more regularly and parents to earn a living.
The gift of clean water truly transformed this community—from dry stones to flowing waters
POLAND – During times of war, often the oldest and youngest suffer most. But you have been a bright source of joy for Ukrainians of all ages. Not only have you sent semi-truckloads of vital supplies into the war-torn country, you’ve also been blessing Ukrainian refugees, both at the border and within countries like Poland. As able-bodied men have stayed to defend their homeland, most of the refugees are women, children, and the elderly. In turn, you have sent help to some of the youngest and oldest Ukrainians in need.
World War II Survivor Flees a Second Time
You blessed Rada, an 88-year- old woman from Kharkiv, who lived through a similar tragedy long ago. Her disabled son, Dmitro, told us, “At the age of 7 she ran away from the offensive of the Nazi army.” Then recently, she found herself under attack again—this time by the Russians.
Dmitro shared with us his hesitation to leave Kharkiv, despite the heavy attack, as Rada had been bedridden. But after a month of constant shelling, the danger grew even more intense and they had to get away
“I put her on my shoulders,” said the 64-year-old Dmitro. “I have sore legs, but I had to do it. … I carried her and somehow dragged her to the car.” And the family fled the city for the border.
As they entered safety in Poland, thanks to you they found compassionate Operation Blessing staff waiting for them. “A very huge thank you to Operation Blessing,” Dmitro said. “They welcome people, give very tasty food, keep us warm, and also have a wonderful attitude toward us.”
From there we brought them to a safe place to sleep for the night. The family planned to head to Germany to stay with relatives for the time being.
A Joyous Interlude for Children After Their Nightmare Journey
With your help, we have served countless women and children, including pregnant mothers and infants. Near the border, we set up spaces for mothers and children to eat, rest and recuperate.
One mother named Elena had two children with her, Ksenia and Timur. She told us the story of their nightmare journey. “The road from Kherson to Nikolaev usually takes 40 minutes, but it took us 12 hours to get there because the drivers tried to find ways and roads where it’s not too dangerous.”
Nonetheless, she said, “What we saw on our way was horrible. Burned cars, and a lot of people dead along the road.”
In these photos, the joy you see on the children’s faces—after days or even weeks of bombing and dangerous travel—says it all. They were so incredibly thankful to find safety and friends. Their nightmare had ended, and although much remained uncertain, you refreshed them and gave them new hope, blessing Ukrainian refugees of all ages.
When asked if she enjoyed our rest area, a little girl named Alena said, “Yes, firstly because I now have a friend here, and secondly, the tent is big. Everything is free— hot chocolate, fries. It is super!”
As we saw families off on buses toward the next step of their journeys, while much is still uncertain, their hearts were filled with your love and care. They knew you were on their side—and that hope for a brighter future remained alive even in this dark time.
“Everything Is free–hot chocolate, fries. It is super!”
FORT WORTH – Sometimes it’s hard to remember that hungry people might live right down the street from us. But with everything going on in the world right now, it may come as less and less of a surprise that people are facing food insecurity in Fort Worth Texas.
Hunger is actually on the rise in America. However, thanks to you and our Hunger Strike Force fleet of semi-trucks, food is reaching hungry Americans during this difficult season of inflation and supply chain challenges. With your support, our dedicated fleet of tractor trailers delivers loads of vital food to our distribution partners throughout the U.S., including Life Unlimited Food Ministry in Fort Worth, Texas.
Battling Food Insecurity In Fort Worth Texas
This partner ministry has been serving a low-income area of the city for decades. And according to the director, Linda Wright, Operation Blessing has been providing them with resources for almost as long. The weekly outreach distributes food and household supplies to struggling people in their community.
Linda said, “We give them a very good quality of food. And through that food, Operation Blessing is blessing others. They are the feet and hands of Jesus working through our ministry.” Even during the height of the pandemic, Linda knew that Operation Blessing would be there. “We never missed a beat. We never shut down one time— because we continuously had help from Operation Blessing.”
Thanks to your support, the elderly, the unemployed, the sick, the disabled, the homeless, single parents, and those known as the “underemployed” in this locale can always turn to Operation Blessing and Life Unlimited to get them through tough times.
Thomas suffers from heart failure and COPD, but he’s so thankful for the food that you help provide for him. He said, “It blesses me to have food so I can feed my family. Thank you. I’m praying to God that they keep doing what they’re doing.”
Meanwhile, Michelle is a widow who jokes that she has too many grandchildren to count. She’s had a hard time making ends meet since her husband passed away five years ago. But she knows that, thanks to help from you, she can get what she needs for herself and her visiting grandkids. She feels like God really provides for her through this ministry. “They’ve been a godsend for the last four years. Operation Blessing has helped me with food to put on my table,” she said. “And it’s a lot of food!”
That’s the sort of blessing that your generosity and compassion is providing. Linda, the director, just couldn’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. She also had this message for you: “Continue giving to Operation Blessing, because it is a good cause—good ground to sow into.”
