OCTOBER 22, 2020 | 4:30 P.M.
SPRINGFIELD, MO.
We are both humbled and excited to share with you that Convoy of Hope has distributed 150 million meals as part of our response to COVID-19.
We are just one part of this amazing accomplishment. We couldn’t have made it this far without the support of our amazing partners. From the very beginning of our COVID-19 response, they have stepped up alongside us to help those in need.
Midwest Food Bank is just one example. Because of their 10-year partnership with Convoy of Hope, they knew they could turn to us as soon as the pandemic began. Their community of Bloomington, Illinois, saw large layoffs and the disruption of school lunch programs. All of this led to a dramatic increase in how many people came to them for food. With support from organizations like Convoy of Hope, they were able to keep up with the demand.
“[Convoy of Hope] is a great organization that has the same values as ours,” says Mike Hoffman, the Procurement & Logistics Director of Midwest Food Bank. “And the people that we deal with, they’re just fantastic. The help that we get through all the different products that they get us is invaluable. They’ve really been a godsend in many, many ways. We just really appreciate that partnership.”
Thanks to leaders like Mike and partners like Midwest Food Bank, Convoy of Hope has shown communities around the world that there are people that care about them and they are not forgotten.
OCTOBER 6, 2020 | 4:05 P.M.
SPRINGFIELD, MO. We want to share some great news — we’ve officially distributed more than 125 million meals in response to COVID-19!
Because of your support and generosity, we’ve provided millions of people with a meal and hope right when they needed it. We couldn’t have done it without our incredible supporters, community partners, volunteers, and staff.
Thank you for being a part of this united act of compassion.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 | 4:30 P.M.
SPRINGFIELD, MO. - When Heart of Monroe’s Executive Director Ginger Walle received an email from the Union County Public School Superintendent, she wasn’t sure how to help. It was mid-March, the COVID-19 pandemic had shut down schools, and the district was asking for assistance. They needed help feeding families and getting food to students.
Heart for Monroe is a network of more than 65 churches and 35 nonprofits working together to address homelessness, hunger, education, and relationships in North Carolina. While food is a component of its programs, Heart for Monroe doesn't have a massive supply that could fulfill the request the school district was making. Despite the difficulties, they quickly redirected their focus and started delivering food boxes to families and children.
Shortly after they started, Heart of Monroe received a call from the Council on Aging asking if they could start immediately delivering food to the elderly.
“We added those requests to the food boxes that were going out. For two solid weeks — six days a week and sometimes even on Sunday afternoons — we were delivering mass quantities of food boxes,” says Ginger.
A few weeks into their food distribution, Heart for Monroe received food from Convoy of Hope and added drive-thru distribution to their efforts. With added products to their supply, Heart of Monroe was able to get creative with their distributions and started creating themed food boxes for families. One night was a taco night dinner while another was a mashed potato day after receiving a truckload of potatoes from Convoy of Hope.
“We operate through donations,” Ginger explains. “Convoy of Hope, other churches and organizations, and even families have shown up at just the right time with donations as we are beginning to wonder, ‘Okay, what are we going to do next week?’ All the sudden, it's like, ‘Oh, we have a truckload of food coming. This is exactly what we're gonna do next week.’”
As of August 13, Heart of Monroe had delivered food boxes for 20 weeks. They are the first to say such a feat could never have happened without the support of strategic partnerships and relationships within their community. From the local police department and hospital to area youth groups and the Chamber of Commerce, groups served alongside one another to provide hope. Convoy of Hope is honored to partner with organizations like Heart of Monroe that have served their communities in response to COVID-19.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 | 1:50 P.M.
SPRINGFIELD, MO. In eastern Arizona, while the COVID-19 crisis occupied many residents’ thoughts, the White Mountain Apache Tribe found themselves with an additional concern: clean water.
“Because of the [high levels of] manganese, the water is often a brown-black color,” Jerald Altaha explained. Altaha is a tribal council member in Carrizo, a small community of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. “On a good day, it’s somewhat clear, but it’s not drinkable. I wouldn’t drink brown water.”
There are 32 homes in Carrizo, many of which are multigenerational or shared between families. Because of the pandemic, the tribe’s lack of potable water became an even greater concern. “Knowing that we needed to have good, clean water to maintain good health, we were desperately looking for help,” Altaha explained.
For Carrizo, hope came in the form of five tractor-trailers full of clean drinking water. Each family in the community received a palette and a half of water to drink and to use for cooking. While distributing the water between households, Altaha was heartened by the gratitude with which the residents met him.
“I walked to this house and this elder lady opened the door,” he recounted. “She was so shocked, so proud, and so happy.” After drying her tears and expressing how thankful she was, she joyfully pointed out the irony of the fact that Altaha would need to help her rearrange things in her home so that she would have room to store all the water after they were done unloading it from the forklift outside.
“I just want to say that I’m so thankful for Convoy of Hope,” Altaha concluded. “It definitely, definitely, definitely brings new hope and new life to people who have nowhere to turn.”
SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 | 4:45 P.M.
SPRINGFIELD, MO. Hunger looms large in many communities throughout the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown just how quickly a family can fall out of food security and into the painful, stressful grind of wondering where their next meal is coming from.
That’s why organizations like the Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation (OACAC) have become even more vital to their communities.
“We acted really fast, and Convoy was great to help us,” says Kathy Moore, the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Project Coordinator at OACAC. “We've received three truckloads from them. We've had cereal, toilet paper, water, hygiene items, canned goods, pasta, snack products, and cleaning supplies.”
Kathy and her coworkers use these products in their People’s Pantries: a 24-hour “take-an-item-leave-an-item” pantry that helps fight food insecurity in vulnerable neighborhoods.
“It's a wooden box that our staff make sure is filled every week,” Katahy explains. “So if people need diapers, they can go and see if there are diapers. If they need to feed their family that night — to get them by until they can get groceries — they can go get food from the pantry instead.”
OACAC sees firsthand how the pandemic has forced many people into poverty, often for the first time. “Our office is only open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. So we thought these People's Pantries were a way that people can come get assistance,” says Skyler Walker, the CSBG Assistant Director at OACAC. “Maybe those who have never asked for assistance before because they've never been in this situation, or maybe people who are just feeling a little embarrassed to come and ask. This is an opportunity for them to come in and help themselves. Food insecurity is a big thing.”
COVID-19 has proven another thing true: the power of partnership. “So Convoy was truly on point for us,” Kathy says. “We really couldn't have kept these pantries up and running if we hadn't had Convoy.”
Convoy of Hope is proud to do what we can to make sure partners like OACAC can fulfill their missions and serve their communities.
