Day 85: Reasons for hope in Japan

The images and stories emerging from Japan are terrible, and with the threat of nuclear meltdown still looming there may be more to come. Temperatures hovered in the mid-30s, with biting winds and snow flurries. Police say more than 452,000 people are staying in temporary shelters, some sleeping on the floor in school gymnasiums. Several thousand people are listed as missing.

Japan's humanitarian crisis has intensified with relief workers being hampered by freezing temperatures and snowfalls while survivors struggle with shortages of water, food and electricity. Japan's prime minister, Naoto Kan, ordered a shift in the focus of relief efforts from search and rescue to caring for an estimated half a million people who have been evacuated from provinces affected by the earthquake and tsunami and many others who have been left homeless.

Since Convoy of Hope, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, was founded in 1994 they have served more than 41 million people throughout the world through international children’s feeding initiatives, community outreaches, disaster response and partner resourcing.

Currently, there are more than 88,000 children in our feeding initiative in El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua and the Philippines. Through the feeding initiative they provide good nutrition, clean and safe drinking water, instruction on agricultural techniques, healthy living environments and education.

At Convoy of Hope their goals are to provide help and hope to people in need in the United States and around world through their children’s feeding initiatives, community outreaches, disaster response and partner resourcing.

With millions of children going hungry and lacking access to clean drinking water each day they focus heavily on providing the basic necessities of life to those in need. Currently, Convoy of Hope is expanding its feeding initiatives to more than 88,000 children in six nations. 

Soon after the 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck Japan; Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Response team established connection with in-country partners who have been impacted by the damage and are identifying the needs and areas where Convoy of Hope may be of the greatest assistance.

Donation: $5

To support Convoy of Hope, please visit:  http://www.convoyofhope.org/