POLAND – Operation Blessing teams have arrived near the Poland border to help Ukrainian families affected by the crisis.
In response to the families fleeing the war in Poland, Operation Blessing stands ready to distribute critical supplies. These supplies include portable solar-powered chargers for mobile phones, which will allow Ukrainian families to contact their loved ones. Operation Blessing will also distribute hygiene kits to provide a measure of comfort and normalcy to victims in desperate need.
To come alongside Operation Blessing as we seek to provide aid and support to Ukrainian families, visit ob.org/obcrisis.
OPERATION BLESSING SENDING INTERNATIONAL DISASTER RELIEF TEAM FROM NORFOLK TO POLAND-UKRAINE BORDER TO HELP WITH REFUGEE INFLUX
Virginia Beach, VA (March 1, 2022) – On Wednesday, March 2, Operation Blessing’s International Disaster Relief team will depart from Norfolk and travel to Poland to help with the massive wave of refugees near the border with Ukraine.
As of today, the United Nations has reported 377,000 refugees have entered Poland, with 50,000 more arriving daily.
Once they arrive on Thursday, the Operation Blessing team will set up a hub for emergency relief efforts to help the wave of refugees that are fleeing from the violence in Ukraine. Led by Diego Traverso, director of International Disaster Relief, the team also includes a medical doctor and a logistics expert. They will be bringing relief supplies from Operation Blessing’s Chesapeake warehouse, including water filtration devices, solar lamps, and hygiene kits which will be distributed to refugees who are staying in camps near the Polish-Ukraine border.
Efforts To Help Ukraine Refugees
Operation Blessing also plans to set up medical clinics near the border, and coordinate the distribution of food, hygiene kits, and water to those in tent camps.
Operation Blessing continues its efforts inside Ukraine, with teams on the ground in the cities of Kiev and Krasnohorivka. Since the violence began last week, Operation Blessing has distributed emergency supplies including food kits, bottled water, and electric generators.
Operation Blessing and its parent organization, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), have been working in the conflict zone of eastern Ukraine, including the city of Donetsk and the village of Chasiv Yar, since 2014 (note – CBN began the operations there, then the work was assigned to Operation Blessing in 2018). Operations have since broadened to include Kiev and other cities throughout Ukraine.
UKRAINE – On February 24, at approximately 5:00am Kyiv time, President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation to “demilitarize and denationalize Ukraine.” A few minutes later, missile strikes began in major cities throughout Ukraine, including near the capital of Kyiv.* Can you imagine the struggle and heartbreak victims of the conflict in Ukraine must be facing right now?
Since the beginning of the conflict with Russia eight years ago, Operation Blessing friends like you have been sending critical aid and life-changing surgeries to the besieged areas of Ukraine. Along with our partners on the ground, we’ve continued serving in the line of fire and dreaming of a long-awaited peace.
Crisis in Ukraine Turns to Full Scale War
Instead, last week the lives of Ukrainians like elderly Vira from the Donetsk region changed in the worst way imaginable! They now face a horrifying new reality. The regular artillery fire they had grown accustomed to enduring exploded into intensive shelling and missile strikes.
Suddenly they found themselves on the frontlines of a full scale Russian invasion, caught in the throes of war. As you might have sadly guessed, by now many are wounded or dead. Many others have lost cherished loved ones, their homes, their livelihoods, and more.
Although hundreds of thousands of people have fled the conflict, some residents can’t. Some have ill parents who can’t be re-located. Others are tired of wandering and have chosen to settle in their basements. And many simply do not have the money to leave the war-affected zone.
That’s why we’re so grateful that thanks to the ongoing donations of faithful donors like you, we were able to immediately begin reaching out to embattled souls like Vira. Through our team on the ground in Ukraine and our partner organizations in the warzone, compassionate Operation Blessing donors are already making a huge difference.
Help for Ukraine During Russian Invasion
Our supporters are making it possible for us to supply food, hot meals, water, generators and fuel. In addition to the other life-saving supplies, these generators provide a priceless lifeline for families with no power to charge their phones. Without them, they would have no way to contact loved ones.
Together with our partners, we’re also supporting evacuees as they face untold challenges traveling to and surviving in new areas. As the situation continues to unfold, Operation Blessing commits to standing with victims of the conflict in Ukraine. We’re ready to help survivors and refugees any way we can.
As our OB President Gordon Robertson said, “Operation Blessing is committed to staying in Ukraine and helping the Ukrainian people for as long as possible. We continue to pray for the people of Ukraine.”
With your support we can continue this life-saving aid and do much more! No one knows when the war and its terrors will end, but you can provide a glimmer of hope in these dark times.
– OPERATION BLESSING UKRAINE ON THE GROUND HELPING IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS –
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (February 24, 2022) – Operation Blessing is on the ground in Ukraine providing emergency relief and supplies to families and individuals in the cities of Kiev and Krasnohorivka.
Operation Blessing staff in multiple locations first reported sounds of explosions early this morning. The humanitarian organization deployed its teams and started the distribution of hundreds of food kits and thousands of bottles of water. Over 600 food kits, each containing enough food to last an average-sized family roughly 7-10 days, have already been distributed.
Helping Victims of War in Ukraine
This week, Operation Blessing purchased 20 electrical generators and fuel to help communities where electricity has been (or will be) disconnected. One of the generators has already been placed in a church, allowing the community to charge mobile phones and enabling people to communicate.
In one location close to the eastern frontline, Operation Blessing runs a longstanding food program that typically provides thousands of meals for over 60 children and adults each month. In anticipation of the invasion, Operation Blessing provided a generator and fuel, so as to keep the food program running for as long as possible.
“There is great need for food, water, fuel and medications throughout Ukraine, as supplies were already running short in anticipation of the invasion,” said Gordon Robertson, president of Operation Blessing. “There’s no doubt that the military operations that began today will cripple supply chains, so the situation is dire. Thanks to the generous support from Operation Blessing’s donors, we have been able to stockpile emergency supplies for the short term, but more help will be greatly needed in the weeks and months to come,” added Robertson.
Operation Blessing and its parent organization, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), have been working in the conflict zone of eastern Ukraine, including the city of Donetsk and the village of Chasiv Yar, since 2014 (note – CBN began the operations there, then the work was assigned to Operation Blessing in 2018). Operations have since broadened to include Kiev and other cities throughout Ukraine.
“Operation Blessing is committed to staying in Ukraine and helping the Ukrainian people for as long as possible. We continue to pray for the people of Ukraine,” added Robertson.
KENYA – In many ways, sweet 7-year-old Charity from remote Kenya might remind you of a child in your own life. Notice her bubbly smile and her glowing complexion. She can enjoy school, playing on a playground, and learning on hi-tech tablets. She’s able to greet the day with excitement and dream big dreams about her future.
However, in other significant ways, Charity’s life is very different. Her parents are considered peasant herders in her remote area of Kenya. They raise a few animals to provide for Charity and her two siblings. She helps with chores around the house like gathering firewood and drinking water.
Not many years ago, Charity might have had a very different sort of life. Clean water would have been difficult to find. She might not have gotten the proper nutrition to give her that healthy complexion. And it would have been very difficult and dangerous for her to get an education. At that time, she would have needed to trek several miles through lands with dangerous animals to reach a school. Because of that, most families kept their younger children at home.
School For Children in Loitokitok, Kenya
Today, thanks to friends like you, Charity and the other young children in her area have a school to attend for free, much closer to home. Through the school, they and their families have access to clean water. The children also receive nutritious food twice a day while at school!
At this early childhood development school in Loitokitok, children have toys, swing sets, and slides to keep their active little bodies busy and fit. They also have access to electronic tablets for learning languages and listening to stories.
Charity and her classmates are so grateful to friends like you. She drew a special thank you sign to let you know how much she appreciates Operation Blessing’s supporters, as well a picture of an antelope for you, which is native to her area.
In addition to her gratitude for her beautiful school, she sent this heartfelt message, “Thank you for a warm meal and clean drinking water.”
Partners like you have provided incredible support to Charity from remote Kenya, her parents, and all the families in that area. Thank you so much for reaching out with love and compassion to change and enrich lives around the world. We see your kindness, and Charity has the opportunity to experience it every day.
MEXICO – It’s amazing to watch your love go around the globe and transform lives. Recently, you reached the people of Mexico in a new way. We conducted our first life-changing surgeries in Mexico, as we expanded this critical program to touch even more lives in the days to come.
One of our first patients here was sweet 6-year-old Hannia. Hannia had suffered from an inguinal hernia most of her life. She doesn’t remember a time before having to deal with intense pain every few days. She couldn’t run, play, go to school, or even help her mother the way she wished she could.
She lives in the small rural village of Chiapas, where her parents work hard to try to meet the needs of Hannia and her two brothers. As a farmer, her father earns about $5 a day, and her mother supplements the family’s income by baking and selling bread.
But all their hard work couldn’t stop Hannia’s pain.
Her mother recalled a particularly heartbreaking occasion. “One day Hannia was playing on the seesaw at school. The bell rang, so the boy on the other side stood up. She got hit where the hernia was located, and she started bleeding. The teachers called me. When I saw Hannia, I started crying because she was writhing in pain. We took her to a clinic, and they didn’t give her anything … because they didn’t have the medicine. Due to that and our economic situation, we had to take her out of kindergarten.”
Although her parents managed to save up to take her for an exam in a nearby city, it offered no real relief because they simply couldn’t afford the surgery that could end Hannia’s misery.
Blessing Families Through Life-Changing Surgeries In Mexico
This is why it’s so exciting that, with your help, we’ve been able to expand our life-changing surgery program to Mexico—and that Hannia was one of the very first people we had the honor of blessing with a surgery in that country.
“I was so happy when I found out!” said Hannia’s mother. “I went to my mother and told her my little girl will finally be okay.”
You can see by her big smile that Hannia now is doing great and enjoying life. She’s able to go to school, play, and ride her bike without fear of agonizing pain—all because you care!
As an Operation Blessing supporter, you are blessing people like Hannia around the globe by providing surgery for treatable conditions such as burn scars, tumors, cataracts, heart problems, cleft lips, and so much more. Through your love, you are truly changing and, in many cases, even saving lives.
HAITI – One of the most amazing things about our supporters is that friends like you stand with disaster victims—not only in the days right after a tragedy, but also for weeks, months, and in some cases even years to come! When an earthquake struck Haiti last year, not only did you reach out immediately, but you continued to follow up with important aid as the victims worked to rebuild their lives. Your faithful giving is helping survivors long after disaster strikes.
Immediate Response
Our team on the ground in Haiti was able to begin reaching out with your love and support soon after the disaster struck. A sweet little boy (known as Junior) and his family were among the first to receive your compassionate care.
When their home crumbled, young Junior was trapped in the rubble. His father, Vincent, described the moment they realized he was missing. “My wife was screaming with fear. I went back inside the house, and I saw the child on the floor. I ran to him. He was covered with blood. I removed him from under the blocks and carried him out.”
With the entire nation in chaos, there seemed no way to get treatment for Junior as his wounds became infected. Then Operation Blessing showed up on the scene, thanks to you. The medical staff took wonderful care of the little boy. They treated him, washing and dressing his cuts, giving him a thorough checkup, and providing the medical supplies he needed. They also gave the family food and other urgently needed supplies. Junior’s family was so grateful for your help.
Over the Next Weeks
During the following weeks, the Operation Blessing Haiti team offered continued disaster relief, reaching out with food, hygiene and medical supplies, and clean water. They went to great lengths to offer support to remote, hard-to-reach villages, distributing over 10,000 pounds of food alone.
With your help, a team of international Operation Blessing aid workers also arrived in Haiti once travel was possible. They joined with a group of doctors from the Israeli-based organization, NATAN International Humanitarian Aid.
Together these teams treated over 1,000 patients suffering from ailments like trauma, contusions, and stomach issues. They also provided chlorine generators and water filters at a time when clean water remained hard to come by. The team continued to go to great lengths to reach people in need, including traveling by boat to a small island village.
As life began to normalize, you provided supplies to help get Haitian kids back into class following the tragedy. You gave hundreds of children school kits that included books, notebooks, pens, pencils, and backpacks. As our doctor, Jenny Darrgust, said, “We are always here with a big heart to help the people.”
Long-Term Care
Of course, long after a natural disaster strikes, the needs continue. Rebuilding can take months or even years as victims struggle to restore their lives, as well. And thanks to you, Operation Blessing continued to respond to these long-term needs, helping survivors long after disaster strikes.
Several months after the initial quake, a shipping container filled with food, hygiene products, and other disaster relief items arrived on Haitian shores to replenish our supplies and support ongoing relief efforts. You even helped to rebuild an orphanage school by providing the construction materials needed.
Pastor Jean Valcourt of the orphanage said, “The school was broken. We didn’t have a place to receive the children. And now we thank God because the Lord answered our prayers and you came to support us in Haiti. I really appreciate you.”
Despite the turmoil facing Haitians right now, with your partnership Operation Blessing continues to demonstrate God’s love to the people of Haiti. Thank you for being there in some of their darkest hours.
PERU – As a young girl in Peru, Gisella felt inspired by her grandmother’s handmade, indigenous crafts fashioned from the vast natural resources that surrounded their village. She decided to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and continue upholding her cultural heritage. Today, Gisella is a mother and grandmother herself. Sadly, the meager income she was earning from her handicrafts often left her family hungry and hurting.
While Gisella worked hard, attempting to sell her wares in tourist areas, her eldest daughter Helen stayed home to care for her 6-year-old brother, José, and her own 2-year-old daughter, Lilia. But that home was little more than a ramshackle hut and didn’t provide much protection for them.
Some days, despite her best efforts,Gisella would return defeated. She recalled a day when she came home empty-handed, unable to give her children any food. “My little son was hungry,” she said. “He doesn’t understand. He’s just a little boy. The baby also wanted to eat, but that day, we slept without food.”
Hungry and Hurting in Peru
Then one night, their situation got even worse. “During a rainstorm there was a lot of noise,” Gisella said. “And suddenly my roof went flying off. All my things started to get wet. In that moment I only thought about getting my children out of there.”
But when the storm cleared, they had nowhere else to go. They cleaned up as best as they could and returned to the house. Now, in addition to their precarious financial situation, they had a dangerous living environment.—until you came along with fresh hope and a fresh start for Gisella and her family!
A Fresh Start and New Hope
Operation Blessing first met Gisella at an artisan workshop. There, along with many others, she received specialized instruction and new materials to improve her crafts and her business. Gisella found renewed hope, feeling confident that with the training and supplies she could increase her future earnings.
But it was clear this family needed immediate help, as well. So, friends like you also reached out to give Gisella and her kids a brand-new, sturdy home!
The cheerful blue house is safe and secure. Her precious children and grandchild will no longer live with the constant threat of danger. And because of you, it’s filled with appliances and furnishings to turn it into a cozy home for this hard-working family.
Gisella said, “Thanks to all of you for blessing my home. Our lives have changed with this house.”
Congratulations to Gisella and her kids on this wonderful little home, and congratulations to you for giving a fresh start to hurting families around the world.
PHILIPPINES – Around the world, our Operation Blessing staff on the ground faces and overcomes many challenges to get help to the people who need it most.
In the Philippines, our medical team recently went to great lengths to bring aid to the tribal community of Sitio Malasya in the Sierra Madre mountains, after they had been battered by weeks of heavy rains. The village lies hours from the nearest medical facility. So a group of our dedicated staff, doctors, nurses, and volunteers overcame many obstacles to reach residents in need of supplies, medical care, and support that partners like you helped make possible!
Providing Medical Care In The Philippines
According to our program director, Dr. Aranas, “The terrain was difficult because of knee-deep mud and raging rivers … but the Lord made a way for us to cross this deep river by literally making it shallower before our eyes even while still raining. God sent three tribal men to help us cross and push forward just when we had almost given up and canceled the mission for safety of the team.”
She reported that the team made it to the community after a six-hour trek. But the Lord brought them to this village with a purpose: “God wanted us to treat the children and adults alike suffering from diarrhea because they have been drinking cloudy rainwater with no source for potable water,” she said.
Dr. Aranas expressed her gratitude for the horses that carried food relief bags, medicines, and special gifts for the children. Thanks to the support of friends like you, the team delivered the much-needed supplies, treated nearly 100 patients, conducted COVID-19 training on hygiene and nutrition, and shared the love of Jesus with the villagers. She said, “It was indeed a fulfilling mission,” and the team hopes to return soon with more aid for this deserving community.
Thank you so much for your compassionate gifts to provide medical care in the Philippines. Gifts that help make outreaches like this possible around the world!
MEXICO – Every day, 14-year-old Maria made a treacherous trek to find water with her mother and sisters. They live in San José el Paraíso, a small community of just 13 families in southern Mexico. The nearest source of water was over half a mile away, which meant a difficult journey by foot for young Maria and her family.
Each day they traveled down the dangerous path for water and grew weary returning with the heavy, water-filled containers. Making matters worse, the water available was vulnerable to contamination, often making it unfit to drink. Without clean water, residents couldn’t safely drink, cook, or even bathe.
Then Operation Blessing heard about the needs of this poverty-stricken community, and thanks to friends like you, we began work to bring it a sustainable source of clean water in Mexico. We started by implementing a water committee, and conducting WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) workshops to teach families how to take care of their water and their health.
Rainwater As A Source Of Clean Water In Mexico
Work then began on the production of rainwater harvesting systems, including proper filtration, for each family. With these practical resources providing sustainable clean water, Maria, her family, and the entire community are now free from the task of carrying water daily. They can also rest assured that the water they drink is safe for everyone.
“Ever since we’ve had the system, we haven’t had to carry water because we have enough,” Maria said. “Now I have more time to help my mom with other chores.”
Thank you for your heart to bless remote villages and communities around the world with the precious gift of clean water. The thoughtful solutions you provide through Operation Blessing bring hope to those that need it most. May God bless you for your kindness!
