Hope Quarterly | Issue 34

Investing

TheirFutures

HOW CONVOY OF HOPE’S PROGRAMS ARE CREATING GENERATIONAL CHANGE

Renzie

1 Convoy Drive, Springfield, MO 65802

Hope Quarterly is published by Convoy of Hope.

©2024 Convoy of Hope

Editor-in-Chief | Roger Flessing

Vice President – Communications | Ben Breit

Editor | Scott Harrup

Managing Editor | Lindsay Donaldson-Kring

Content Editors | Levi Costello, Carla Counsil, Annie Denny & Morgan Mills

Reporters | India Banks, Levi Costello, Annie Denney, Lauren Donaldson & Jess Heugel

Photographers | Clayton Gilligan, Jess Heugel, Christian Lamb, Joe Mason, Rhett Noonan, Simen Reinemo, Stephen Rippee & Dylan Stine

Webmaster | Jess Heugel

Creative Director | Josh Carter

Designers | Aaron Davis, Leah Kiser & Misty Olivera

Board of Directors

Dr. Aaron Cole (Chair), Court Durkalski (Vice Chair), Telvin Jeffries (Secretary), Dr. Brad Trask (Treasurer), Dominick Garcia (Executive Member), Dr. Mike Burnette, Dr. Sam Huddleston, Randy Hurst, Lindsay Jacobs, Cheryl Jamison, Klayton Ko, Kay Logsdon, Rich Nathan, Tom Rankin, Sherilynn Tounger & Hal Donaldson (President)

Feedback | editor@convoyofhope.org

Website | convoyofhope.org

X | @convoyofhope

Facebook | /convoyofhope

Postmaster | Send address changes to:

Hope Quarterly

1 Convoy Drive, Springfield, MO 65802

On the Cover: A young girl in Kenya attends a school where Convoy of Hope is feeding students, promoting agriculture, and offering training through its local Women's Empowerment program.

Photographer: Dylan Stine

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Betty'sLegacy

Last year, Convoy of Hope’s initiatives helped more than 48,000 women and girls embark on new life journeys.

More than 7,000 women received entrepreneurial training and seed capital to start their own businesses. Another 12,000 participated in our Family Health Empowerment program. And more than 29,000 girls learned strategies to recalibrate their lives toward the best possible futures.

When a woman tells me how Convoy has helped her family, I hear my mother’s voice. Betty Donaldson was a tower of strength for my two brothers, sister, and me when our father was killed in a horrific auto accident. Throughout her life, she worked tirelessly to meet our

needs. In addition, her heart was always open to reach out to others who were hurting.

My mother is one of the reasons I’m so passionate about Convoy of Hope’s efforts to assist women and girls.

Her perseverance and compassion changed my life. And today, your kindness and generosity are changing the lives of thousands of women and girls each year.

Thank you for caring and giving so women and girls can have a future.

God bless you.

Hal Donaldson President, Convoy of Hope

Shipping Aid Around the World

Scan here to see the Convoy/Flexport partnership in action.

Partners like Flexport.org are invaluable to Convoy of Hope when delivering humanitarian aid as quickly and efficiently as possible to those in need. Flexport has helped Convoy respond to multiple disasters — from the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria to crises in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Since October 2023, Flexport has provided more than $1 million in shipping credit to ship nearly 100 containers (3.4 million pounds) of Convoy of Hope emergency supplies, hygiene kits, and more to people affected by the war in Ukraine.

“We love working with Convoy of Hope,” said Dave Hartman, Flexport.org senior program manager for global aid. “They have such a solid supply chain and logistics team — really great folks on the ground working already. When our two teams get together, we can implement things quite quickly and we know that everybody is going to hold up their end of the bargain.”

Convoy Serves Unsheltered in Los Angeles

Come on in, we got enough for everybody,” said Antwone Sanford, director at the Los Angeles Mission in Southern California, while beckoning unsheltered people into the mission’s courtyard.

Dozens of men and women heeded Sanford’s call and lined up to be served by volunteers from local churches. The distribution included more than 33,000 pounds of food and supplies from Convoy of Hope’s Regional Distribution Center West, located in Sacramento.

Many of those in line towed all they owned in worn-out, carry-on luggage. Sanford persuaded others to temporarily abandon shopping carts or their bikes to enter the mission’s courtyard, where they received bags of toiletries, food, and bottles of much-needed water.

The mission serves one of the nation’s largest homeless populations. Estimates place 10,000-15,000 people living on these streets.

Here, sidewalks teem with tents and other makeshift homes built of cardboard, scraps of plastic, and wood — anything that can

lend some privacy, a sense of protection, and shelter from the elements.

Randall, 51, was a guest at the distribution. “It’s been treacherous,” he said of living on the streets. But he was looking ahead to a different future. “I’m already down, the only way now is up.”

“Homelessness is a hopelessness issue,” contended Sanford as he directed foot traffic. “There are a variety of factors to it, including mental health and addiction issues, that fuel a sense of hopelessness. But this work is not a hopeless work — if we only reach one person today, it’s a victory.”

Helping Survivors of Sudan Conflict

Fighting and displacement continue to ravage the people of Sudan. Convoy of Hope is working to alleviate suffering among the staggering 10.7 million people displaced because of the armed conflict.

Relief supplies, such as tents and mosquito nets, help provide shelter. Meals mean a better chance at survival and provide a glimmer of hope. Since the start of the conflict, Convoy has distributed more than 2.1 million meals.

Ten-year-old Sara and her mother arrived at a refugee camp having not eaten for days. With her father missing and her

older brother hospitalized, Sara was weary. When Convoy provided a hot meal and a message of hope, Sara’s smile expressed the gratitude of the more than 35,000 people Convoy has helped.

Convoy Responds to Historic Wildfires

Just as every disaster is unique, so is each of Convoy of Hope’s responses. Convoy provides essentials — food, water, and hygiene supplies — during each disaster, but occasionally responses require some creative resources.

With wildfires burning more than 1 million acres in Texas (the largest fires in state history) and more than 150,000 acres in Oklahoma, ranchers in the area were struggling to feed their cattle. Much of the natural food source for their livestock was destroyed.

Convoy has been partnering with the Oklahoma Cattleman’s Foundation to deliver hay to devastated areas. More than 300,000 pounds of hay have created a feeding stopgap for hard-hit cattle owners. This is in addition to food, water, and other essential supplies distributed to about 9,700 fire survivors in six communities.

Chick-fil-A teamed up with Convoy of Hope by organizing a meal-packing event during their annual conference in Orlando, Florida. Thousands of Chickfil-A owner-operators and staff attendees volunteered to pack 2 million meals in less than two hours. One million packed meals are to be distributed during Convoy’s responses to disasters, and the other million meals will help combat food insecurity in underserved U.S. communities.

Forbes’ “America’s Top 100 Charities” list ranked Convoy of Hope as the 35th largest charity in the United States. The Forbes list goes beyond assessing nonprofit organizations’ size to include factors like fundraising efficiency and charitable commitment. “During Convoy’s 30th anniversary year, this recognition is a testament to all the people who have volunteered, partnered with, donated to, and supported Convoy of Hope,” said Convoy’s Ethan Forhetz.

Investing Futures

Renzie Peralta

Investing in Their Futures

By Scott Harrup

For Renzie Peralta, it should have been an evening to celebrate. When children in the Philippines go Christmas caroling house to house, the hosts offer them fun snacks. But as Renzie was enjoying some treats, one host interrupted with a jarring question.

“Why are you so skinny? Doesn’t your mother feed you?”

To this day, that memory brings her to tears. “My mother heard him,” says Renzie, now 27.

“She was very hurt. Not just by the insult, but because our family really was going hungry.”

The Peraltas had struggled for years. Renzie’s dad had to find work overseas and was only home sporadically. Her mother was a local pastor, but the church she served paid almost nothing.

When Convoy of Hope came to Renzie’s community, her family’s circumstances began

to change. The Peraltas were given Convoy meal packs, and Renzie's mother discovered recipes to transform the nutritious donated staples into delicious dishes.

“Those meals gave us energy to do more at school,” Renzie says. “We also received shoes, so we could go to school with proper shoes and full stomachs.”

Convoy of Hope’s Children’s Feeding initiative continues to grow around the world,

with more than 571,000 children now receiving a nutritious meal every school day. But Renzie’s life was further impacted when Convoy’s Women’s Empowerment program awarded her a scholarship to study computer coding. She excelled in her classes, and upon graduation was hired by a local nonprofit as an IT administrator.

“Convoy of Hope lives up to its name, truly bringing hope

Convoy of Hope lives up to its name, truly bringing hope into people’s lives.

into people’s lives,” Renzie says. “And I want to pay that forward. I will always try to give all I can because I know how it feels to have so little.”

Renzie’s story is being multiplied thousands of times every year in Convoy’s 25 Women’s Empowerment program countries. (See “On the Map” on page 18 to catch some highlights.)

In Ethiopia, Gebeyanesh worked in a factory, but the money she earned couldn’t support her family. In 2023, she joined a local Women’s Empowerment program and received financial education, vocational training, and startup capital for her business, a small shop that is now a stable source of income.

“The support I got from Convoy of Hope is more than money,” she says. “It has transformed my whole life.”

Hope for Hungry Families

Around the world, Convoy of Hope is feeding more than 571,000 children every school day. But in areas impacted by crisis or severe poverty, Convoy’s strategy includes feeding families.

• Morocco’s earthquake in September 2023 impacted thousands of villages and 2.8 million people. Convoy brought meals, clean water, and other supplies into 14 hard-hit communities, serving more than 36,000 people.

• In war and conflict zones, finding and preparing food can be all but impossible. In the Middle East, Convoy has been prioritizing food kits and prepared meals when distributing relief supplies. More than 400,000 meals have been distributed since conflict began last fall.

• The Horn of Africa continues to endure severe drought and food insecurity. Convoy has provided nearly 6 million meals to families across the region.

Gebeyanesh/Ethiopia

In Kenya, Sophie quickly applied the principles taught at a local Women’s Empowerment group to start her own business selling beans and corn. When drought hit her hometown and erased her profits, she was able to pivot and start a gas station.

Sophie/Kenya

Economic Empowerment

Renzie’s scholarship is just one way in which Women’s Empowerment works to bring economic opportunity into a woman’s life.

When a woman generates an income, it doesn’t only benefit her — the entire community profits. Through a variety of training techniques, Convoy equips women to start and successfully operate their own businesses.

Scan the QR code to see more of Sophie’s story.

• Financial education

• Vocational training

• Cooperative savings groups

• Microenterprise business training

• Startup capital (not a loan)

Alondra founded a small cosmetology business in her community in Honduras, thanks to training and encouragement from a local Women’s Empowerment program. That’s made all the difference when it comes to providing for her two daughters.

A community project can encompass multiple participants simultaneously. Convoy worked with 76 women in Tanzania for a year, helping them to create multiple microbusinesses and savings and lending cooperatives. The graduation ceremony drew the attention of local government, with several leaders offering speeches.

Women’s Why

Convoy of Hope’s commitment to help women and girls achieve new levels of success is in response to some sobering global statistics.

• Women do three times as much unpaid care and domestic work as men.

• One study showed an estimated 129 million schoolage girls were not in school.

• In the least developed countries, only 60% of girls complete primary school, and just 30% enroll in secondary school.

• Girls are almost 2.5 times more likely to be out of school in conflict-affected countries.

• Globally, 1 in 3 women experiences physical and/or sexual violence in her lifetime.

• Globally, just over a quarter of senior- and middlemanagement positions were held by women in 2020.

Scan the QR code to see Alondra’s story.

Alondra/Honduras

Convoy of Hope: Serving people ... alleviating poverty and hunger

Convoy served its 1 millionth person.

Convoy surpassed 50 million people served.

Convoy of Hope served 70,000 people through 12 major outreaches in the United States.

At Convoy of Hope, accountability and transparency are an integral part of everything we do. From every purpose restricted donation, Convoy of Hope’s Independent Board of Directors may allocate up to 20% of that donation to cover its administrative and fundraising costs. If restricted donations exceed the need of the crisis, the capacity to respond to a crisis, and/or when local conditions prevent effective assistance, Convoy of Hope’s Independent Board of Directors may allocate these funds to other worthy projects that help Convoy of Hope fulfill its global mission of helping children and families in need. All contributions to Convoy of Hope are tax deductible.

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION ON FILE WITH YOUR STATE REGULATOR IS AVAILABLE BY CONTACTING THE STATE AS EXPLAINED AT THE LINK BELOW. THIS INFORMATION MAY ALSO BE OBTAINED FROM CONVOY OF HOPE BY WRITTEN REQUEST TO 1 CONVOY DRIVE, SPRINGFIELD, MO 65802 OR BY CALLING (417) 823-8998. PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY ANY STATE.

For state-specific contact information, please visit convoyofhope.org/disclosures

MAKE A DONATION

To donate by credit card or PayPal, visit convoy.org/hq34 or scan here with your smartphone.

and the Hope Society.

Regardless of the scale of a project, it’s the life-changing story of each participant that proves Convoy’s long-term impact, its ability to shift the future.

For Renzie, in the same way that Convoy’s meal packs reached her family at a critical point of need, Convoy’s scholarship came at just the right time, following a season after college when every job offer had proven empty.

“I got so depressed,” she says. “I asked God, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ I was feeling so hopeless. But this whole experience has helped me view God and learn more about Him in a different way. And it also reminds me that I should pay it forward.”

Tech Scholarship, Honors Graduate

In June of 2022 Convoy of Hope partnered with Bethel School of Technology to offer scholarships to four Women’s Empowerment beneficiaries, two selected from Southern Asia and two from the Philippines. The scholarships were for a rigorous online, faithbased computer coding bootcamp. Renzie graduated summa cum laude from the 10-month program and received the prestigious “Excellence in Capstone” award. Renzie’s certification in full stack development quickly let her enter the workforce as a programmer.

Thank you!

Thanks to friends like you, in 2023 Convoy of Hope’s Women’s Empowerment programs helped more than 7,100 women in 25 nations embark on entrepreneurial journeys through economic empowerment training and resourcing.

For nearly 15 years, Convoy’s strategy has helped women overcome the challenge of poverty and provide for their families.

GUATEMALA

Women’s Empowerment has been especially effective in conjunction with training by Convoy’s Agriculture team.

HAITI

In recent years, Women’s Empowerment in Haiti has included the most participants of any Latin American country (1,878 in 2023).

GREECE

With more than 2,400 participants in 2023, Greece is one of two major European program countries. Many refugee women participate.

ETHIOPIA

Women’s Empowerment began here in 2010 and was given the “LifeChanging” award by the Ethiopian government in 2013.

SPAIN

With 3,524 participants in 2023, Spain is the largest Women’s Empowerment program in Europe.

PHILIPPINES

An economic empowerment pilot program here in 2014 has since grown into Convoy’s largest Women’s Empowerment program in 2023 with 6,335 participants.

NEPAL

Many Women’s Empowerment participants have started small businesses in their rural villages. With 514 participants in 2023, it’s the largest program in Asia.

KENYA

Kenya’s Women’s Empowerment program went into action soon after Ethiopia’s in 2010 and has trained many successful business owners.

Disaster Services

Ukrainian war refugees, East African communities on the edge of famine, and U.S. hurricane survivors all have received critical help through Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team. Consistently among the first to respond to crises, Convoy’s highly trained staff and volunteers help hurting people get back on their feet. Convoy is committed to helping as much as possible for as long as possible in the most challenging environments.

Women’s Empowerment

When a woman generates an income, it not only benefits her — the entire community profits. Through training and loving support, Convoy equips women to start and successfully operate their own businesses. Convoy encourages women and girls around the world to realize their value and reach their potential. This gives them the opportunity to positively impact the lives of their future families and their communities.

Convoy of Hope’s Agriculture program is equipping vulnerable farmers and families with skills, tools, and seeds to increase life-sustaining crops. Of the tens of thousands of meals harvested each year, a portion is used to support Convoy’s Children’s Feeding program. Convoy’s agriculture specialists teach long-term sustainable practices that help break the cycle of poverty and promote communitywide food security.

Convoy of Hope Education™

By providing curricula and other resources to participating colleges, Convoy of Hope is preparing the next generation to address the world’s compelling challenges with help and hope.

Children’s Feeding

Approximately half of all deaths of children under 5 can be linked to undernutrition. A nutritious meal coupled with clean drinking water opens doors to better health and consistent physical and mental development. Convoy of Hope provides regular, nutritious meals in schools around the world. Now, more than 571,000 children are discovering renewed hope.

Community Events

Since its founding in 1994, Convoy of Hope has worked with civic organizations, churches, businesses, and government agencies to create Community Events that bring help and hope to thousands in need. Each Guest of Honor receives needed resources and services, all free of charge. Convoy’s team works with dedicated local volunteers to deliver groceries, health services, family portraits, career services, children’s shoes, and much more.

Rural Initiatives

Convoy of Hope reaches people exactly where they are. Poverty and hunger have gained a devastating edge in rural communities. By partnering with local churches to offer resources, training, mentoring, and coaching, Convoy of Hope helps people effectively discover and implement solutions to the issues in their local context. Convoy believes increased presence and partnership with local leaders helps strengthen and enrich entire neighborhoods and towns.

New Friends, New Opportunities

Convoy of Hope’s Girls’ Empowerment groups are educational programs that help girls identify and strengthen their voices individually and collectively. Girls in the program learn about self-esteem, positive decision-making, nutrition, physical and emotional health, and more.

Girls learn to plan for their futures and grow up believing that they can make a difference in their communities and the world.

“The activities we do are very fun,” says Julia of her group in El Salvador. “They teach us a lot about values and how to take care of ourselves. I have learned a lot of things, and I have also changed a lot.” She dreams of the day she can study to become a doctor and help others.

In Tanzania, Aaliyah connects the values she takes home from her Girls’ Empowerment club with her goals for the years ahead. “My parents work hard to provide for my studies. It inspires me to work hard and to perform well in my studies and eventually be able to support them.” With her focus on science, she plans to go into public service.

“I went through times when I looked down on myself and compared myself to others,” says Senerose, who graduated from a Girls’ Empowerment program in the Philippines. “When I joined Girls’ Empowerment, they helped me and the other girls gain selfconfidence.”

Opportunities

Empowering women and girls to advocate for themselves creates opportunities that last for generations. Convoy served more than 48,000 women and girls in 2023, raising the total of participants to 148,000 since 2010.

Girls’ Empowerment groups teach life-changing principles.

Julia/El Salvador

Q&A:

Lisa Harper

Lisa Harper is the author of 16 books and has spoken at hundreds of national and international women’s events. Lisa describes her greatest accomplishment as becoming a mom through the miracle of adoption, and she is a passionate advocate for Convoy of Hope’s Women’s Empowerment and Girls’ Empowerment efforts. She recently traveled with Vice President of Partner Relations Doree Donaldson to the Dominican Republic and talked about serving the poor and suffering.

HQ: You have an amazing ministry to women all over the world. How was that birthed in your heart?

Lisa: I started telling stories when I was a kid. Now I get to do that vocationally. I’ve seen so many doors open, and I get to draw from different painful experiences I’ve gone through and help women see the immense value in their lives. On my worst day, God calls me beautiful. If you can peel back the layers of culture and circumstances, our hearts are shaped exactly the same.

HQ: What has stood out to you as you have connected with the women Convoy serves?

Lisa: Everything you do is for God's glory. And I've been taken aback in a really wonderful way by how Convoy serves women with such respect. The inherent dignity you see in each woman, and how you utilize what they have in order to

help create what they need. It’s not a handout. It’s bringing dignity to people who are God’s image bearers.

HQ: Your daughter, Missy, is such a gift. How did that door open for you?

Lisa: My life took some painful turns, and in my 40s I had almost given up on becoming a mom. But for years, I had a dream to adopt. It was a long road. I lost two adoption opportunities, one at the last possible moment. That broke me. But right at that time, while a friend of mine was visiting Haiti, a young mother passed away and left a 2-year-old girl who was in very poor health. A local doctor said she would die in weeks or months if someone didn’t intervene. My friend contacted me. It took two more years before I could bring Missy home to Tennessee, but she’s 14 now and wonderfully healthy.

HQ: How has having Missy changed your perspective on the needs of the developing world?

Lisa: It changes everything. I remember when I was visiting Missy’s orphanage in Haiti while I was in the adoption process and some visitors came in and wanted to take pictures for their social media page. It struck me how desperately we need to do this with more dignity. How can we be more compassionate with those who are poor or powerless or marginalized? We like to talk about addressing the needs of the poor, but I heard a seminary professor say once that if it doesn’t preach in Sudan then it shouldn’t preach in America. When you have a child from an impoverished background with tragedy, who almost died, it just gives you bigger eyes to see that all of us are called to care for those who need help. That’s not an option. It’s not based on a personality type. That is a calling for every one of us.

HQ: Of all the organizations you travel with and support, why Convoy of Hope?

Lisa: I’ll tell you why I believe in Convoy — because you haven’t forgotten people. I think sometimes we live in such a bright and shiny world in our first-world culture and put our best filters on for our social media presence. But you connect with people in their circumstances, and you do it with integrity. I will hitch my wagon to your star every day!

Lisa & Missy

Convoy of Hope deals in numbers all the time but always connects its responses to names — the names of communities, partners, and everyday people being helped and pointed toward hope.

Names

& Numbers

The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF0 to EF5)

An EF0 tornado has winds of 65-85 mph; an EF5’s wind speeds are above 200 mph. Convoy of Hope responds to tornadoes each year. In 2011, Convoy was on the ground soon after a devastating EF5 tornado leveled entire sections of Joplin, Missouri. This year, Convoy has sent resources to Arkansas, the Florida Panhandle, Indiana, and Ohio following tornadoes there.

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (Category 1-5)

A Category 1 hurricane produces winds of at least 74 mph. At 157 mph or greater, a Category 5 wreaks havoc. Convoy’s Disaster Services team follows weather reports throughout hurricane season. While a Category 5 storm is rare, one devastated the area around Acapulco, Mexico, last October with 165 mph winds. Convoy was there to help communities recover.

U.S. towns with populations below 5,000

While small-town America offers charming attractions to tourists, a lack of resources can make life challenging for residents. Convoy of Hope’s Rural Initiatives helps churches, organizations, and leaders address key needs. Convoy provides training and resources to meet those needs, such as groceries, shoes for kids in school, and seeds to plant community gardens.

Area in square miles of Madagascar, the world’s second-largest island nation Convoy sent a team to Madagascar last year to begin strategizing how to address community food insecurity. Convoy is now feeding nearly 7,000 children at 39 program centers, numbers that will steadily grow.

Scan the QR code to read about Madagascar in Hope Quarterly’s Africa Waits Special Edition.

Number of people

Convoy of Hope has helped since 1994 Thanks to steadily expanding support, this number is growing more rapidly than ever before. But even as the total number grows, Convoy continues to connect with individual people — like Micheline, Joseph, and Ramesh.

Scan the QR codes to learn more about their stories.

Supporting Convoy’s Future … and Yours

According to the 2023 Wills and Estate Planning Study by Caring.com, the number of Americans over 55 with wills decreased from 48% to 46% between 2020 and 2023.

The survey found that procrastination, the belief there were not enough assets to merit a will, not knowing how to proceed, and fears that the process would be too expensive were the top reasons given for not having a will.

If you find yourself somewhere in that crowd, Convoy of Hope has a great resource for you: a tool that lets you create an estate plan easily, regardless of the size of that estate, and with no attorney fees.

To thank the generous friends who have supported Convoy of Hope through the years, Convoy is sharing FreeWill, a free estate planning resource that makes creating that plan simple. It’s just as easy to include a legacy gift that ensures Convoy can continue its mission to relieve poverty and hunger for years to come.

Use the FreeWill QR code on the back cover and begin creating an estate plan today that will protect your loved ones and carry out your legacy goals for the future.

For more information about estate planning and strategies to maximize your giving, email hopesociety@convoyofhope.org.

Micheline HAITI

Joseph ZAMBIA

Ramesh NEPAL