Serving Former Community Servants

Robert and Edie Rowland were EMTs for more than 15 years. Hard working and dedicated, they never thought that one day they would face food insecurity in North Carolina. Years ago, they met on the job and later married. Over time, lifting people and heavy objects took a serious toll on their necks and backs, one of the challenges of their both physical and stressful profession. Unfortunately, they were unable to keep working as EMTs due to the strain. Eventually, Robert was unable to work completely and Edie lost her job in retail.

They were struggling to keep up with bills and were falling behind financially. This is one of the unfortunate effects of food insecurity. Eventually, they were unable to buy enough food for the family. The result was the need for hunger relief to meet these gaps in income caused by unforeseen circumstances.

But everything changed when Edie met a woman who lived around the block from her. The woman was a member of Eastern Star Church in North Carolina. Eastern Star Church operates a food pantry that helps fight food insecurity in North Carolina. Operation Blessing regularly provides food to their pantry. She told Edie about their monthly food distributions and said they could help with hunger relief. Edie and Robert began visiting the distributions, stocking up on groceries and other resources for their tight times. They are very grateful for the precious blessing received when they needed it most. Thank you! To learn how you can get involved, visit https://www.ob.org/hunger-relief/.

On The Ground After Devastating Storms In Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, US – Operation Blessing has deployed an assessment team to Alabama after tornadoes ripped through Birmingham and surrounding areas; leaving destruction in their path and claiming lives. To learn how you can get involved, go to ob.org/obdisaster.

A Bright Future After Cataract Removal

Operation Blessing Cataract Surgery for Young Girl in Honduras

8-year old Kimberly loved to draw. But one day she began to notice her right eye was getting blurry. These were signs of Kimberly’s undiagnosed, yet serious, eye problem in Honduras. Kimberly’s mother, Carla, also noticed that her daughter’s right eye was bloodshot. She suspected something was wrong. So the next day Carla took Kimberly to the doctor.

The doctor diagnosed Kimberly with a cataract in her eye. He also told her that the treatment would include surgery. The surgery, of course, was very expensive. Carla was overwhelmed with sadness. The idea of her young daughter’s vision being obscured was painful. Carla also learned that Kimberly’s eye trouble involved more than a cataract. Her litany of serious eye problems also included a detached retina. This would also require a surgical procedure to fix.

Besides the strain of a heartbreaking diagnosis concerning Kimberly’s eyes, finances were another challenge. Tragically, Kimberly’s father had abandoned the family years before and Carla makes only a small income. She could never afford the surgery for her daughter’s eye problem in Honduras. But, thanks to you, hope was not lost! Carla heard about Operation Blessing’s life-changing surgeries program. They told her a donor wanted to help Kimberly with her surgery. The surgery was arranged. Carla was overjoyed! Her daughter would be able to see without blurriness. The surgery removed her cataract and restored her retina. Kimberley’s sight was restored! Thank you for your heart to see people all over the world healed from infirmities. To get involved, visit ob.org/surgeries.

Relief for Desperate Hurricane Victim

BUENA VISTA, HONDURAS – In late 2020, two hurricanes tore through Honduras with deadly force. The storms caused great need for hurricane victim relief. Hurricane Eta and Hurricane Iota struck within a month and a half of each other. Brutal winds and damaging flooding changed lives forever. Because the hurricanes were so close, the community of Buena Vista suffered immense damage. Maria Paz, a resident of Buena Vista, spoke to Operation Blessing staff about her experience. She told us that her neighborhood was the most damaged in the area. “They called me to tell me that I had to leave the house, all the people had already evacuated their houses.” said Maria. Maria’s neighbors were worried about her, since she was the only one who didn’t immediately evacuate.

Thankfully, Maria survived the hurricanes. However, her home and community were left ravaged. Maria has no way to access her home at the moment, because the hurricanes washed so much away. The landslides buried many houses in Buena Vista. Maria and her neighbors were left without hope.

Helping Desperate Hurricane Victims

But you have a heart for victims of disaster like Maria! Thanks to your generous support, Maria and her neighbors received an amazing gift of hope. You provided food, hygiene kits, and first aid to suffering families. Thanks to you, Maria and her neighbors have the support they need to start taking the first steps to recovery. Maria is so grateful for your help! “God has not abandoned us, and has blessed us!” She said. “God bless the people who have felt in their hearts to donate to help us!

Your incredible generosity is providing hurricane victim relief to those who have lost so much. Gifts of hope, like the one you gave Maria, have made a profound difference. From hurricanes and tornadoes to floods and refugee crises, Operation Blessing is so grateful for your support. To learn more about giving to victims of disaster, click here. Thank you, and God Bless!

Angel Gets Her Miracle

PHILIPPINES – When a typhoon destroyed Angel’s home in the Philippines, her family had nowhere safe to stay. Now homeless in the Philippines, their lives were turned upside down. That night Angel, age 9, and her siblings had done their best to sleep through the storm, but they were frightened. “I was scared of the typhoon and strong winds,” she told OB staff. “It made my chest hurt. But my little sister was scared too, so I covered her with a blanket.”

Consequently, the typhoon left the family in a dangerous living situation. And due to the COVID-19 crisis, Angel’s single father, Roland, lost his fishing job. Unable to afford anything else, he used scrap wood to build his family a makeshift shanty. The weak structure offered little protection. “I worry about my kids,” said Roland. “I worry about how I can rebuild my house. We had nowhere to turn for help and nowhere to go.” Accordingly, he stayed up most nights to make sure they remained safe while they slept.

Homeless And Scared, Angel Makes A Desperate Prayer For Help

That’s when Angel sent up a desperate prayer for help. She said, “Lord, help us. Please give us a new house. Please protect my family. I love them very much.”

In answer to her precious prayer, Operation Blessing friends reached out to help. When Operation Blessing staff delivered a food package to Roland and his children, the staff saw how dire their living situation was. They did not ignore this struggling family that was homeless in the Philippines. Thanks to the generous support of partners like you, and the help of some faithful volunteers, we were able to build the family a safe and sturdy new home. “We have a new house!” Angel exclaimed joyfully. “I’m happy! Thank you so much.”

Not only that, but friends like you also equipped Roland with the supplies he needed to start his own business. He now sells fish to help him take care of his family for long into the future. Thank you for the support you show to families like Angel’s at home and around the world.

homelessness in the philippines solved with a new home

Looking Forward With New Eyes

Operation Blessing Cataract Surgery for Young Boy in Honduras

Jesus is a young boy in Honduras who loves his dad. He gets excited when he comes home from work. But when Jesus turned two, his dad began to notice his son struggled to see. Later, he would be diagnosed with congenital cataracts. He struggled when he tried to walk and often fell. Jesus also struggled to focus his eyes on anything.

Jonathan, his father, took Jesus to see an eye specialist. The doctors diagnosis confirmed he had congenital cataracts in both eyes. The doctor urged them to schedule surgery immediately to prevent permanent vision loss. But Jonathan’s limited income as a taxi driver during the pandemic meant they did not have enough money for the surgery.

But a staff member at Jesus’ clinic mentioned Operation Blessing’s life-changing surgeries. They told him a donor wanted to help Jesus get surgery for the congenital cataracts in his eyes. The surgery was arranged. His parents were overjoyed! The surgery removed his cataracts and Jesus’ sight was restored! Thank you for your heart to see people all over the world healed from infirmities. To get involved, and see how you can make a difference in the day to day lives of people like Jesus, visit ob.org/surgeries.

You Help Make Miracles Happen

KENYA – Meet 6-year-old Deborah from Kenya. Her bright eyes and big smile tell the story of how your love and compassion can help work miracles in the life of a child. Including miracles of clean water in Kenya, miracles of educational opportunities, and the blessing of nourishing food. For Deborah and so many kids in the village of Kimana, holistic outreach from Operation Blessing friends like you has rewritten the stories of their lives.

Several years ago, before Operation Blessing arrived in Kimana, most young children were unable to attend school to get a strong start on their education. The closest school was simply too far away for little legs to walk each day, and they needed to pass through a dangerous area full of wild animals. Many of the children didn’t get proper nourishment either. Meanwhile, villagers had a difficult time finding clean water—and many struggled with poverty.

Meeting Challenges In Kenya

Then Operation Blessing partners like you came along and supported innovative solutions to these challenges! Today Deborah and her friends have the advantage of growing up in a very different sort of community.

Let’s start with the school. Deborah receives a high-quality early education near her home to prepare her for life and help her break out of generational poverty. She has the opportunity to learn using technology, a special treat in her part of the world. At school she enjoys the playground as well, and she’s fed two nutritious meals each day.

Clean Water Solutions In Kenya

But that’s not all. Friends like you also supplied a clean water source for the school and the surrounding community where Deborah lives. Clean water in Kenya is just one more incredible blessing you helped provide. And her whole family benefits from the local agriculture program, which provides even more healthy food as well as income opportunities for her parents. Deborah’s mother now helps raise chickens, and her family has been given a plot on the Operation Blessing sponsored farm, where they primarily grow beans. In fact, her family moved closer to the village so that they can reap all the benefits from the blessings you provided!

The Deborah you see today is thriving and full of life. She’s always one of the first to raise her hand in class. She loves reading and hopes to be a teacher someday. Instead of the dim outlook of poverty, she envisions a future that’s bright and full of hope. A future with clean water, abundant food, and a path to a better life. Thank you for being a miracle in Deborah’s life and the lives of so many precious souls like her.

Relief for Double Hurricane Survivor

Within just a month and half of each other, two hurricanes hit Lake Charles, Louisiana. Trudy’s home was left in ruins. This was a fate suffered by some residents in Lake Charles as a result of the double hurricane onslaught. The storms completely devastated her. This was one of many challenges brought by a long and exhausting 2020 hurricane season. Collapsed ceilings now buried everything this double hurricane survivor owned.

Thankfully, insurance covered the damage done to her house after the storms destroyed so much. But the double hurricane survivor couldn’t find anyone to help her salvage the few belongings she had left. Contractor’s schedules were full, her siblings are older with health issues, and her neighbors were busy working on their own homes.

But thanks to you, Operation Blessing arrived just in time! Despite the strain of multiple hurricane relief efforts, we were there to help Trudy. Likewise, disaster relief volunteers showed up with truckloads of supplies and resources to aid the victims. Additionally, teams worked for hours taking out debris, hauling furniture, and removing moldy drywall. Trudy was also able to recover precious items in her home. She was overjoyed with gratitude for your kindness in her time of need. Thank you for your heart to see Trudy, and many like, her cared for after disaster! To get involved, visit https://www.ob.org/disaster-relief/.

Celebrating World Water Day 2021

We at Operation Blessing celebrate World Water Day 2021 this March and all year long Thank you for giving the priceless gift of clean water to vulnerable children, families, and whole communities around the world!

How Your Support Makes The Clean Water Program Work

Assess: Local staff assess a potential community to determine the level of need and compatibility with the program.

Determine: Determine the optimal clean water solution to best fit the needs of the community.

Partner with Community: Select devoted members from the community to be trained as a water committee and establish a plan for sustainability.

Implement: Implement the project through construction of the system and train the community on WASH (waster, sanitation, and hygiene) principles.

Complete: Equip the water committee members to use and maintain the system, providing them with tools, as well as holding an inauguration ceremony in celebration.

Monitor: Follow up with the community to ensure project sustainability after completion and officially hand over project to the community.

World Water Day 2021!

To give a special gift for World Water Day 2021 to support a clean water project in El Mirador, Mexico, visit: ob.org/waterday2021

You Sent Miracles in the Midst of Storms

CENTRAL AMERICA – The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the most active and costly on record with an incredible 30 named storms. These monstrous cyclones ravaged the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America. Two storms in particular, Hurricanes Eta and Iota, slammed into roughly the same areas of Central America just two weeks apart. They brought widespread destruction and hammered beleaguered people already suffering from the economic effects of COVID-19. Thankfully, even in the midst of the pandemic, YOU helped make miracles happen for those in desperate need.

Hurricanes Eta, Iota And The 2020 Hurricane Season

First came Hurricane Eta, a powerful category 4 storm that caused major flooding and damage. One victim said of the flooding, “If we had been asleep, it would have been terrible. That water was like the devil coming for us.”

You responded by sending hygiene kits, complete with facemasks, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, soap, and more to Eta’s victims in Costa Rica. In Guatemala, six departments were declared states of emergency due to flooding. Once again, you responded by sending food, hygiene kits, diapers, sleeping mats, and more to disaster victims.

When hurricanes hit, access to clean water often becomes one of the most critical needs in the aftermath. Such was the case in Mexico and Guatemala, and in both instances you supplied the help hurricane victims needed. In Mexico, you sent boats laden with water to people in need. In Guatemala, you provided SE-200 chlorine generators to provide clean water in the hard-hit community of Campur.

The last storm of the 2020 season was Hurricane Iota, a record-breaking category 5. It followed much the same path as Eta had two weeks before. Though Honduras had not been unscathed by Eta, Iota hit even worse.

Once again, you reached out to hurricane victims when they needed you most. You sent mats, blankets, hygiene kits, food, rakes, shovels, and water to help them recover from Iota.

Thank you for shining a light in the midst of a devastating hurricane season. A season that brought the devastation of Hurricanes Eta and Iota. You sent miracles when it looked like all hope was lost. God bless you for your compassion and kindness!