During the past 3 months, Operation Compassion, an independent benevolent organization with roots in the Church of God, has partnered with several worldwide agencies to deliver more than 1,980,000 meals to children. Places like Tonga, South Africa where a widow is caring for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. She has taken care of thousands of children over the years; some have died but others have survived to live and help others; or in the Philippines where approximately 5,000 children each day are fed on the streets, at school and feeding centers.
“In day to day life when something goes wrong children are usually the first to suffer,” said President of Operation Compassion David Lorency. “When things are going well, children are usually overlooked. Children are the most vulnerable members of society because of their inability to fend for themselves. Because of this simple fact, children in every corner of the globe are starving or suffering from malnutrition.”
Statistics from a 2012 UNICEF study stated that 22,000 children die each day because of poverty; 15 million children are orphaned due to HIV/AIDS; 1.4 million children die each year from lack of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation; 134 million children between the ages of 7 and 18 have never been to school; 270 million children do not have access to health services; 640 million children live without adequate shelter; out of 2.2 billion children, 1 billion children live in poverty. In the United States, 16.1 million children under the age of 18 live in poverty. Because of these alarming facts, Operation Compassion has been working to help these children survive another day.
In the United States, in the heart of coal country, thousands of children live in extreme poverty, maybe some of the worse in the world and are unable to provide for themselves. The Appalachian Dream Center is there to feed hundreds of meals each month to help care for these children. In South Carolina, Christ Central Ministries (CCM) is doing similar feedings, helping children and families cope for another day.
“Natural disasters bring about its own brand of suffering,” Lornecy said. “Many children are displaced and separated from their families. Sometimes the only survivors are the children left without any care and certainly no way to feed themselves. Whether the disaster is an earthquake with a resulting tsunami, a hurricane or typhoon, tornadoes, flooding or fires the result is the same – children suffer and need care!”
In many developing countries, charities consider cookies or snack crackers a meal. However, the meals Operation Compassion serves are scientifically developed to properly nourish those dying from starvation or those suffering from malnutrition. The meals are a rice and soy mixture with more than 25 vitamins and minerals that can be mixed with meat like chicken or goat or eaten like oatmeal. While it may not taste like a steak dinner, the taste is palatable and children seem to like it.
“Twenty-two thousand children die each day because of poverty,” Lorency concluded. “You can help us lower or completely eradicate that number by joining with Operation Compassion in its fight to feed suffering children.”
There are three ways to donate:
Online Donations:
www.operationcompassion.org [1] (givedirect button)
Call in donations to:
423.728.3932
Mail or call donations to:
Operation Compassion
114 Stuart Road, NE Suite 370
Cleveland, TN 37312
423.728.3932 Office
423.728.3958 Fax
www.operationcompassion.org [1]