HURRICANE SANDY RESPONSE
You Delivered Hope To Hurricane Sandy Victims
January 23, 2013—A Letter of Thanks from Dave Phillips
Dear Friend,
When you first gave to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy, you were hopeful that your gift would make a difference in the life of a family devastated by the storm.
As you know, Children's Hunger Fund exists to equip local churches for Gospel-centered mercy ministry to suffering children and families. So when the hurricane struck, we asked you to help us meet the need. You responded. For many of the victims, the help you gave, right at the critical time, proved to them that God had not abandoned them. Your gift delivered hope when they needed it most.
In all, we were able to ship over a half million dollars worth of food, clothing, emergency supplies and other aid to churches and ministries in the Bronx, Queens, Hoboken, Brooklyn, Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Jamaica Plains, and Long Island, as well as to ministries responding to the devastation left by the storm in Haiti.
Today, we want to thank you by sharing a story of one of the families you helped.
This story comes straight from Harvest Fields Community Church in the Bronx, one of the several churches and ministries we supplied with your help. We hope it will be an encouragement to you as you read it.
When Hurricane Sandy touched down in the New York City area, one of the most significantly impacted areas was the Rockaways in Queens. When Children’s Hunger Fund’s supplies arrived in NYC, our desire to minister to the needs of the people led us to the Rockaways.
Upon our arrival, we realized that several grass-roots ministries had set up tables in a small parking lot and were distributing used clothing and other supplies to families in the community. The Red Cross had also sent one of their trucks to provide whatever form of relief they could. The crowd was greater than the limited supplies could satisfy. We decided to drive up and down some of the nearby streets and knock on some doors.
The majority of the families had evacuated. Some even boarded up their windows and doors prior to leaving. Of the families who were still in the neighborhood, some were very busy removing damaged property and furniture from their homes and leaving it on the sidewalk for the Sanitation Department to pick up. Some homes had power, most did not.
Jackie and her husband have three young children around the ages of 2, 5 and 7 and Jackie’s younger sister also lives with them. Jackie’s husband was busy making return trips up the street to the small parking lot where other supplies were being distributed. They had nowhere to go when the storm hit and preferred not to stay in a shelter. They weathered the storm at home and experienced about two feet of water invading their living space and damaging much of their furniture and property. While their apartment is on a second floor of what seemed to be a two or three family dwelling, they were not exempt from the impact of the storm which hit their beach-front neighborhood and damaged most of the houses in the surrounding area.
We arrived with Food Paks, Blankets, Flashlights, Garbage Bags and other supplies. Although they were visibly and adversely impacted by the storm, they were happy to see us and interacted quite pleasantly with us. They were excited to receive the Food Paks and especially the Blankets as theirs was one of the homes without power or heat. They expressed much gratitude to us using expressions such as “Thank You” and “God Bless You!"
As we left their company, I could hear one of the ladies say, “We have to go to Church on Sunday."
It is our hope that Jackie and her family will visit the church, that the church will continue to meet their needs until they are back on their feet, and that they would ultimately come to know the true hope that can only be found in a relationship with Jesus.
Thank you for showing God's love and mercy to this family and to the many others we were able to serve because of generous friends like you.
Sincerely,
Dave Phillips
CHF President
November 15, 2012—Since the day Hurricane Sandy struck, we have been feverishly routing food and other aid to help the victims—four truckloads so far.
You have helped us send water, water filters, trash bags, cleaning supplies, paper goods, and even plush toys (to comfort the kids) to New York churches and ministries serving in Jamaica, the Bronx, and Long Island City.
The lesser-publicized impact of this disaster occurred in Haiti where Sandy’s force was felt days before striking the eastern United States. The storm left thousands homeless and many of the churches and ministries scrambling to provide resources for the victims. Just yesterday, we sent off a sea container filled with vitamin-fortified rice meals, nutritional supplements, shoes, dried fruit, and snack bars to supply churches in the affected areas. Before the items were loaded onto the container, our staff gathered around them to pray for those who would receive the aid. Your quick response and generous gifts are already making a difference! THANK YOU.
CHF staff gathers to pray around the items being readied for shipment to Haiti.
Children’s Hunger Fund (CHF) is urgently routing food and other aid to help victims of Superstorm Sandy in the Eastern United States. At the same time, ministries in the Caribbean are suffering from the initial hit of this same storm earlier this week. Ministries supplied by CHF in the Dominican Republic and Haiti are in need of help.
Donations are now being accepted HERE.
As the winds and rains have battered cities and towns up and down the east coast and deep into New England states, community churches and ministries are rapidly organizing to help displaced families. CHF is gathering resources from corporate and ministry partners across the country to supply those ministries with the resources they need to respond. A special fund has been opened to receive donations toward this work.
“As with all disasters,” said CHF President Dave Phillips, “the poor will be the hardest hit by this tragedy. Their lives will be impacted in ways we can’t imagine, and we hope to help local churches ease their suffering while they recover.”
We are asking YOU to make cash donations toward this effort HERE. In addition, we are seeking bulk quantities of food and other aid from corporations. Individuals wishing to volunteer time, should check the website often. Opportunities will be posted as they become available.
Please pray for the children and families who are suffering and afraid during this desperate time. Throughout CHF’s history, friends like you have responded to disasters like this one, bringing hope and help to the hurting. Please give generously now.
