Are you passionate about helping others? Do you want to transform lives? When you see others struggling, do you long to help them? Operation Blessing wants to team up! Did you know YOU can create your own fundraiser for Operation Blessing? Peer-to-peer fundraising allows you to reach others. That’s right–we want you to take action right from where you are. Now you run the show and direct the message. Make a difference in a new and powerful way.
Learn how to access the Operation Blessing Peer-to-Peer Fundraising site. Turn your social interactions into blessings for others. Utilize social media to get the message out and get people you know involved. Leverage your network to help change lives. Unleash your passion to help people in need. Use the power of the internet to maximize your efforts. The process is very simple. Explore our homepage and find a cause you are passionate about. Choose one that speaks to your heart. Then you are in the drivers seat. Tell your own story on your fundraising home page. Keep the message fresh and persevere for what you believe in. Invite all your friends to join in the giving, as well! Visit ob.org/fundraiser to get started today.
Hurricane Laura was a category 4 storm when it struck Lake Charles, Louisiana. Georgiana and her family evacuated before the storm. But when they returned home, they found themselves in another type of storm. As part of a devastating 2020 hurricane season, Hurricane Laura had left a mark on their property. Georgiana’s home was heavily damaged, inside and out. Thankfully, insurance covered the damage to her home. But her yard was still covered in massive hurricane debris. This included downed trees and shingles.
With limited income, Georgiana and her husband worried about how they would pay for the removal of the hurricane debris. Accordingly, they were overwhelmed by the amount of debris they would have to remove. There seemed to be too much to tackle by themselves. Not surprisingly, they lacked the equipment and manpower to meet the challenge.
That’s when Operation Blessing showed up to help with hurricane relief. Your gifts and prayer support emboldened a team of volunteers. Volunteers who arrived with a truckload of tools and were eager to help. Likewise, Operation Blessing volunteers cleaned all hurricane debris from Georgiana’s yard. This included cutting down and removing trees. Additionally, limbs, and shingles on the property were also taken away. Thank you for your heart to see disaster victims cared for in their darkest hour! To get involved, go to ob.org/disaster.
HAMPTON ROADS, VIRGINIA – George Quesenberry serves as the Food Operations Manager for Operation Blessing Disaster Relief. George and the food operations team have provided scores of meals to help battle food insecurity and provide hunger relief after natural disasters. Usually, George spends his time in the mobile kitchen, cooking up food for staff, volunteers, and victims of disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. But thanks to you, George and his team are cooking for those in need right here at home.
Thanks to your generosity, Operation Blessing has partnered with For Kids, an after-school program for underprivileged children. George is currently focusing his efforts on helping to fight food insecurity in Hampton Roads, Virginia, and provide hunger relief through this partner organization. Some of these children can’t go home until late at night. Because of this, For Kids was in need of food supplies for the children they cared for. And you provided! Your generosity allowed George and his team to cook up delicious, healthy meals to be delivered to For Kids. Many children face food insecurity in Hampton Roads, and depend on the meals that George and his team prepare. Thanks to you, children in Hampton Roads will go home with full stomachs. Visit ob.org/hunger to learn more about Operation Blessing’s hunger relief programs. Thank you for your incredible generosity!
DALLAS, Texas – The state of Texas continues to experience a devastating cycle of winter weather. However, Operation Blessing’s U.S. Disaster Relief team is working to assist Texas winter storm victims.
Freezing rain, snow, sleet and extremely cold temperatures have created dangerous situations in many parts of the state. This has caused hazardous travel conditions and power outages for millions of residents. In fact, many have survived without power since Sunday, Feb. 14. The lack of power has led to other issues, including lack of water services and broken water lines due to frozen pipes. According to local government, 293,000 homes and businesses in Harrison County have been advised to use bottled water.
You Are Sending Comfort to Texas Winter Storm Victims
To help bring relief to those who have been affected, Operation Blessing worked with the City of Dallas Office of Emergency Management. Thanks to friends like you, we are coordinating the transportation and distribution of much-needed relief supplies. Operation Blessing will be picking up a pallet of hand sanitizer and blankets from one of our warehouses in Grand Prairie, Texas. In addition, you’re making it possible for us to deliver over 3,000 bottles of water, along with other relief items, to the Hi-Way Tabernacle Church, a fellow relief partner.
As needs arise, Operation Blessing U.S. Disaster Relief stands ready to help. Please keep the state of Texas in your prayers. And consider giving a special gift to help disaster victims at this time.
Although Dar’s parents were initially overjoyed with the arrival of beautiful twin boys, they quickly became troubled when they noticed Dar’s cleft lip. The family endured severe ridicule from neighbors in Cambodia, suggesting they should throw Dar in the trash or leave him to die. His mother also watched him struggle to drink milk.
A cleft lip, in Cambodia, often carries a negative stigma, but that didn’t matter to Dar’s grandmother who was moved with compassion for him.She told his parents that even if they wanted to give him away, she would care for him. But Dar’s parents would not give away their son they loved so much. They were prepared to endure any pain for the sake of their son. They had no money and no other options to correct his lip.
One day when Dar’s parents were taking him to receive his regular vaccinations, a doctor told them about Operation Blessing’s life-changing surgery program. And thanks to you, Dar was able to receive a free surgery to correct his cleft lip in Cambodia! He is now on the road to full recovery from surgery and can drink milk without choking. Thank you for your heart to see Dar healed and his future changed! To get involved, go to ob.org/surgeries.
PERU– To see Andy’s bright smile now, you would never realize how much of life he’d missed out on during his first seven years, before he received hernia surgery. The painful medical condition kept Andy sidelined. Then you put your love into action through a procedure that changed his life!
Andy was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia at birth. But he was too small and frail to have hernia surgery. However, as years passed and Andy’s father took him to the hospital multiple times, the available healthcare system let him down again and again.
They continued sending him home with pain medicine and suggestions to keep the hernia from worsening. Meanwhile, he still badly needed surgery to correct the problem. His father, David, said “I felt sad that I was not receiving what I was looking for, but kept praying.”
David, a single father, simply couldn’t afford to pay for the surgery himself. He works as a musician and music teacher. After his wife left him and Andy, his financial situation became difficult. He currently lives with his parents at the church where they serve as pastors and David as worship leader. “I kept looking for other possibilities but there wasn’t enough money to afford them,” he said.
When David worked with kids at his church, “I saw all these children moving around. They sit for a moment but cannot stay seated for too long. They are very active.” He said, “Among the children playing, there was one boy that looked like my son. I thought to myself, how I wished to see my son as healthy as that child, and be operated on.”
Andy’s suffering brought David much sorrow. “I can see he feels frustrated and sad even though he doesn’t tell me that. He loves soccer and would like to run as much as he can, but he is limited,” David said. While Andy also enjoyed singing with his father, the extroverted child mostly wanted to be able to play with his friends.
Then things turned into a nightmare as Andy’s pain grew worse, and he struggled through each evening. Not only was he experiencing a painful childhood, his life and his future were at risk.
That’s when Operation Blessing Peru staff heard about Andy’s case—and you put your love into action to provide Andy with the hernia surgery he needed! Even better, Andy quickly recovered without any complications. Now he can enjoy his life without pain or limitations, because of friends like you.
It’s amazing to see how a simple surgery for a hernia can transform a life. David sent along his thanks to you. He said, “I wish with my heart that…Andy could one day share hope to other people with the story of how he was restored and healed. Thank you Operation Blessing for making this possible.”
Liscy lives with her children in Honduras in the remote community of Las Quebradas. Unfortunately, the need for relief for disaster victims in Honduras remains dire. Her community was still in the process of recovering from recent hurricanes Eta and Iota when tragedy struck again. One afternoon, Liscy’s neighbors began to stir with panic at the sound and feel of the earth shaking. A neighbor raced to a high point in the community to confirm that a nearby hill was collapsing. The man ran down to the community, shouting the news. Liscy and her neighbors immediately fled the area, racing to safety before the hill fully collapsed, burying 14 houses as it fell.
Liscy and her children cannot currently return to their home. Flood waters are still running through her community, making it unlivable. But thanks to you, hope was on its way! You were the answer to so many prayers as you sent relief for disaster victims in Honduras. Operation Blessing Honduras arrived to Liscy’s community with resources to bless those suffering from recent disaster. Bags filled with food, medicines, and first aid supplies were distributed to dozens of families in Las Quebradas. Liscy was so grateful for these supplies to sustain her children as her community begins to recover. Thank you for your heart to see disaster victims cared for around the world! To get involved, visit ob.org/disaster.
HONDURAS – Ever since she was 4 years old, young Jeslin has followed a strict schedule, heavily limited by lack of clean water solutions in Honduras. She gets home from school, does her homework, plays for a bit, and then has to attend to a big chore—fetching water. Walking for miles, she searches for the stream where she gathers as much water as she can carry. But Jeslin’s stream is contaminated, and she risks being bitten by snakes. Jeslin told Operation Blessing staff about how the water she gathers makes her sick. “I drank it and I thought, ‘I hate this and I never want to drink it ever again.’ I thought my stomach was going to explode, and the pain made me cry.”
Unfortunately, this is the reality many families in Honduras face. Lack of access to clean water solutions in Honduras causes thousands of childrenand adults to contract waterborne illnesses each year. The task of gathering water often falls to young girls like Jeslin, who should be studying and playing with their friends. But thanks to you, this reality is changing bit by bit.
Your generosity has allowed Operation Blessing to work tirelessly to bring clean water solutions to communities like Jeslin’s. Your donations gave Jeslin and her village a state-of-the-art water purification system, which brings clean, drinkable water right into their homes. Thanks to you, Jeslin no longer has to make the daily trek for dirty water. “I am so happy we have clean water, and we aren’t forced to drink dirty water anymore!” she exclaimed. This is all thanks to your amazing generosity. Click here learn more about how you can bring clean water solutions in Honduras to children like Jeslin!
INDONESIA – Early Friday morning on January 15th, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, sending thousands fleeing from their beds. Over the next days the dust cleared. In the aftermath, 84 people were found dead and over 300 seriously injured. Additionally, the 2021 Indonesia Earthquake displaced approximately 30,000 residents from their homes.
Beyond the human toll, the quake and over 39 aftershocks have done significant damage to homes, businesses, roads, and other infrastructures in the area. Now, the people of Sulawesi desperately need our help.
Operation Blessing Friends Reach out to Earthquake Victims
Operation Blessing friends like you have heard their cries. We quickly sprang to action, preparing for a massive outreach effort to those affected by the earthquake. Fortunately, our Indonesian branch, Obor Berkat, stood ready on the ground and able to respond.
The team moved quickly to assist hundreds of families with food and hygiene kits. Thanks to you, they are also providing medical care to the wounded. Moreover, our teams on the ground will also be monitoring ongoing needs, to see how else we might be of assistance to hurting victims. Come back for updates on this urgent situation.
Please keep victims of the 2021 Indonesia Earthquake in your prayers. And consider giving a special gift today to help disaster victims in need at ob.org/disasterrelief
The COVID-19 crisis has extended into 2021. The state of Texas and the entire United States still face great challenges. Sadly, feeding hungry Texans is one of many priorities in the Lone Star State. Texas continues to weather a struggling economy carried over from 2020. The new year has brought the same worries and issues as the year before for many families. Hunger and food insecurity are a major concern and no country or state is immune. Thousands of men and women are still trying to find work after being furloughed or let go at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis. Now, in 2021, they have still been unable to secure a new source of income. Likewise, the crisis has left many families unable to pay for the most basic resources, like food to put on the table. Feeding hungry Texans is a real issue challenging the people of the state. Rochelle Fletcher, director of The Goodness Project in Texas, saw the tremendous need for hunger relief in her community and immediately sought to help.
Thanks to YOU, Rochelle and her team at The Goodness Project partnered with Operation Blessing to bring food to these desperate families!
Your kindness provided critical groceries to hungry men, women, and children in Texas. You are serving up hope and security to these families in very uncertain times. Thank you!
