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, Lindsay Jacobs, Cheryl Jamison, Klayton Ko, Kay Logsdon, Rich Nathan, Tom Rankin, Sherilynn Tounger & Hal Donaldson (President)
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Photographer: Arianna Gilligan
Spirit Generosity of
While visiting cities and towns across the U.S. over the years, there is one thing I’ve encountered consistently — a spirit of generosity.
I see it in the smile of a volunteer giving out groceries at a Convoy of Hope disaster response site. In the phone call from a CEO who wants to know what her corporation can do to help us meet a major need. In the group of college students who spend a summer interning with Convoy in our different initiatives.
That same spirit of generosity is foundational for Convoy of Hope as we serve the poor and hungry. When you read
this issue, I hope you sense the generous spirit that motivates our Community Engagement and Disaster Services team members as they connect with people in need across the U.S. and internationally.
It’s that same passion and generosity that I see in friends like you who give to others expecting nothing in return.
God bless you for all you do.
Hal Donaldson President, Convoy of Hope
Convoy of Hope Serves HurricaneImpacted Communities
Weather experts predicted a very active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Although the first named storm, Alberto, never gained hurricane strength, Hurricane Beryl was a record-breaker — the earliest Category 4 storm ever recorded, the strongest June hurricane on record, and the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever.
As Beryl decimated the Caribbean island of Carriacou on July 1 and brought power outages and flooding to parts of the Grenadines, Grenada, Barbados, and Tobago the next day, Convoy of Hope prepared to take much-needed resources to the region. In the wake of the storm, Convoy brought generators to one impacted island that powered shelters and a medical center. Convoy also distributed food, water filters, and hygiene kits on several islands.
After crossing the Gulf of Mexico, Beryl made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 storm that caused flooding and widespread power outages. Convoy has served more than 62,000 people in 18 communities in the state, distributing more than 1,185,000 pounds of resources.
In total, Beryl took the lives of 44 people and caused more than $6 billion in damage.
Convoy Expands Africa Response
Convoy of Hope’s Africa Waits Sub-Saharan response to poverty and hunger has seen incredible growth.
South Sudan, Togo, and Zimbabwe have already surpassed their Children’s Feeding targets for 2024. Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa, and Zambia are more than 85% of the way toward their end-of-year goals, placing them 63% ahead of schedule.
Kenya and Tanzania have surpassed their 2024 Women’s Empowerment goals, reaching 116% and 205%, respectively. West Africa, Kenya, Madagascar, South Sudan, and Uganda have reached or surpassed their 2024
Agriculture goals, with 100%, 137%, 124%, 613%, and 410% levels, respectively.
In Uganda, 11,000 3- to 5-year-olds are being added to Children’s Feeding programs to help them avoid cognitive and skill development losses that occur from early childhood malnutrition.
Critical to perpetuating the results of the Africa Waits initiative is the establishment of field stations and leadership training. By the end of 2024, Convoy of Hope will open its first field station in the arid Turkana region of northern Kenya. Leadership training has commenced in all program countries, with new countries soon to open.
what really matters
Watch Convoy’s team in action here.
Convoy Sends Resources to Brazil Flood Survivors
In April, Brazil’s state of Rio Grande do Sul experienced its worst flooding in 80 years; 70% of a typical month’s rainfall occurred in just four days. More than 100 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Convoy of Hope has responded with winter clothing (seasons in the Southern Hemisphere are the opposite of the Northern Hemisphere’s), food, water, mattresses, blankets, hygiene kits, food kits, and more. More than 142,000 meals have been distributed.
Emergency Relief Delivered During Historic Severe Weather
Convoy of Hope has been on the front lines delivering emergency relief to communities impacted by severe weather events across the United States.
By the end of June, Convoy had conducted 19 emergency responses, delivering more than 2.6 million pounds (more than 50 semi-trailers) of vital supplies. More than 137,600 people in 56 communities across 13 states were served.
Disasters have ranged from water crises and flooding to tornadoes and other severe wind events. As Hurricane Beryl set new records early in this year’s hurricane season, Convoy quickly responded to that storm and is preparing for others to come.
SpartanNash recently donated — and 700 of its employees packed — more than $1 million worth of product in 15,000 specially organized boxes that Convoy of Hope will distribute to families impacted by disasters. Each box provides a family of four with food for a week. In addition, the food distributor and grocery store retailer’s foundation presented Convoy with a contribution of $100,000 to help the communities Convoy serves.
Shop Convoy of Hopeʼs gift catalog this holiday season. Items donated at convoy.org/catalog support vulnerable people around the world. Provide more than a gift to someone in need through the gift catalog.
By Nick Wiersma
I’ll call her Carol.
“I’m new to being homeless,” Carol said to the Connect Church team and the 60-plus unhoused people they were serving that day in their city. “I’m very afraid to be on the streets and do life by myself. But today I felt your warmth.”
Others at the event offered words of encouragement, and the church team made sure everyone received help and support.
Convoy of Hope had provided Connect Church with urgently needed personal items for the outreach. The church team took those resources and organized an event that made every participant feel valued.
continued on p. 10
Community engagement is interwoven with Convoy’s history. During multiple outreach events in 1995, just a year after Convoy’s founding, city organizations and local nonprofits came together with Convoy to serve tens of thousands of people in need. But Convoy keeps looking for new ways to bring help, hope, and transformation to communities.
Known for large-scale outreaches, Convoy of Hope also brings help to smaller neighborhoods.
Across America in 2024, Convoy’s commitment to community engagement has already included 100 Community Events serving more than 156,000 Guests of Honor. Fifty-four Field Teams have worked on projects in nine U.S. locations and 12 other countries. Convoy has collaborated with more than 4,000 organizations, helping them identify how they can better serve their regions. More than 15.5 million pounds of resources reached more than 1.1 million people.
Every outreach provides new stories of families receiving hope.
Last Christmas, for example, one mother said, “I have not been able to give my children a good Christmas in six years. Thank you for making this a Christmas we will remember.”
And a little girl at a back-to-school event told a volunteer, “I love this backpack. It’s the first one I’ve ever had.”
continued on p. 12
Community Events build momentum. In 2013, Restoration Church in Sioux City, Iowa, collaborated with about 20 other churches and nonprofits to serve 6,000 Guests of Honor at the Tyson Events Center. Convoy partnered with Restoration and those local churches to hold other events in the following years. Then, last year, Restoration took the initiative and with a core group of four or five churches adopted four elementary schools. They purchased shoes so kids could have new shoes for the new year.
—Jason Bachman Senior Director, Community Events
Fixed-income senior adults in one community, when receiving the groceries Convoy provides, said, “If it weren’t for Convoy of Hope, we would have no food in our home.”
During Convoy’s 30th anniversary year, its resource distributions, Field Teams, Community Events, Rural Initiatives, and volunteerism continue to meet critical immediate needs. That goes in tandem with Convoy’s commitment to empower, engage, and activate local partners. Finally, Convoy’s training helps partners bring about long-term positive change in their communities. The trajectory goes from meeting needs now to creating lasting solutions for years to come.
Through Field Teams, people who are already part of the Convoy of Hope story can make eye contact, hear and tell stories, and get their hands dirty serving alongside our precious friends in the U.S. and around the world. Field Team members help build the capacity of our local workers and come alongside the worldwide Convoy of Hope vision in ways specific to unique communities. I’m moved when I see the marginalized encouraged and when I see a light turn on in the eyes of team members as they grow and see a glimpse of how they’re a part of a beautiful story of hope.
—Matt Wilkie Senior Director, Field Teams
For Convoy, “reimagining community” means constantly looking for better ways to serve.
Every life, every community, has value. By working with churches, businesses, and civic organizations, we’re endeavoring to make transformation a reality.
Nick Wiersma serves as senior vice president of Community Engagement at Convoy of Hope.
We continue to partner with local churches and other nonprofits. We are committed to building relationships. It’s like the old saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” This is a collaborative season we’re really excited about. We’re coming to local partners, looking to them, letting them speak to us out of their heart, their DNA, their dream.
—Kary Kingsland Vice President, Rural Initiatives
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 taxdeductible where allowed by law.
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
OKLAHOMA
TEXAS
LOUISIANA
ARKANSAS
MISSOURI
IOWA
MINNESOTA
WISCONSIN
NEBRASKA
KEY:
SEVERE STORM
When you see on the news that a tornado, wildfire, hurricane, or other disaster has hit a U.S. region, you can be sure Convoy of Hope is monitoring that situation and looking for the best way to help.
In addition to coming alongside survivors around the world, Convoy’s disaster response teams have been on the ground across the country.
The 2023-2024 responses shown here represent millions of pounds of resources distributed where they are needed most. Some of the icons include responses among several nearby towns.
FLORIDA
ALABAMA
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 families and their communities.
Agriculture
Convoy of Hope’s Agriculture program is equipping vulnerable farmers and families with skills, tools, and seeds to increase lifesustaining 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 longterm sustainable practices that help break the cycle of poverty and promote communitywide food security.
Today’s generation wants to change our world. Convoy of Hope Education invests in students through partnerships with colleges and universities, internships, and compassion experiences.
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.
By Stacy Lamb
Things are rarely quiet around here.
The very nature of disaster response at Convoy of Hope means we are constantly monitoring potential crises, preparing to respond to an existing event, or are on-site in the wake of recent devastation. By the middle of July, our teams had already carried out 56 responses — 2024 is on track to surpass our 86 responses last year.
Across the U.S. and globally, we’ve been in many of the places that have made headlines.
Early in the year, that meant responding to winter storms that brought heavy rain, snow, wind, and bitter cold to the Midwest and East. This spring, it felt like every week we were heading to a town hit by a tornado. We’ve responded to wildfires, derecho winds, and community water crises.
continued on p. 22
This has been a historic tornado season, with well over 900 tornadoes across the country. But, again and again, these local disasters have proven that people are deeply concerned about what’s going on with their neighbors and their communities and how they can help. When we go door to door with relief supplies, someone will say, “Please check on the family down the street,” or “So-andso has a tree across their house. Can you help?” Their care for each other is inspiring.
—Eric Gordon Senior Director, U.S. Disaster Services
We helped more than 15,000 multistate tornado survivors following powerful storms over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Internationally, 2024 included weeks of serving flood victims in Central and South America, across Africa, and Kazakhstan. We responded to earthquakes in Morocco, Papua New Guinea, and Japan.
With a natural disaster, a crisis happens, and you respond to it with the framework of a plan and at least an idea of when it will be completed. Conflict situations are very challenging to navigate because of the lack of an end date. But one of the most encouraging things we experience is when people who live in those communities under those conditions come and work alongside us. They’re experiencing that disaster, but they’re also attempting to help their neighbors in the midst of that disaster. That’s a powerful thing. They’re creating hope during incredible hardship and darkness. In the middle of unbelievably extreme and even unbearable situations, they are creating glimmers and spotlights of hope.
—Ryan Grabill Senior Director, International Disaster Services
St. Vincent and the Grenadines/Hurricane Beryl (AP Photo/Lucanus Ollivierre)
Morocco / Earthquake
Kenya / Flooding
Convoy of Hope continues to feed thousands of children living in Haiti’s civil unrest. (File photo/Feb. 29, 2024/AP/Odelyn Joseph)
By summer, an added element emerges on our annual radar — the Atlantic hurricane season. Convoy’s very first disaster response was to flooding in Del Rio, Texas, after Tropical Storm Charley in 1998. Since then, hurricane response has been a major element of Convoy’s intervention plan every year. This year, some computer models have predicted a record number of storms.
Pain multiplies when disaster comes through civil unrest and war. Despite Haiti’s
uncertainties and gang violence this year, we’re grateful we have distributed more than 800,000 meals with the help of strategic partners and continue to serve families enduring that chaos.
We quickly responded to the Middle East conflict last year — by the end of June, more than 1,062,000 meals had been distributed. In Ukraine, we have assisted nearly 6 million people with more than 59 million meals, more than 1 million pounds of clothing, and many tons of additional resources.
Convoy’s commitment to helping people keeps an eye on the far horizon. We want to stay on-site for as long as our help is needed. Convoy is still involved in longterm recovery for survivors of 2019’s Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, 2022’s Hurricane Ian in Florida, and 2023’s wildfires in Hawaii. Earthquake survivors are still rebuilding their lives in Turkey and Syria, and Convoy is assisting them on that journey.
Everything we do is a reflection of our heart for all the people Convoy serves during some of life’s most challenging circumstances. It’s about bringing the hope that can be elusive after a storm.
Stacy Lamb serves as vice president of Disaster Services at Convoy of Hope.
Convoy of Hope is all about helping communities thrive worldwide, and three of its initiatives focus on the needs of children, farmers, and women in strategic ways.
Want more information on Convoy’s Agriculture program? Scan here.
Convoy is now feeding more than 571,000 children around the world a nutritious meal every school day. For children from marginalized groups, like the Roma in Slovakia, the introduction of children’s feeding in a community brings dignity and transformation. Children used to come to people’s doors begging for food, one local leader said. “But after you started feeding them, they stopped coming. These children are fed. And this is something that changed the culture of this whole community.”
For some communities, the potential for lasting change is in the soil, and the best solutions are grown at home. With Convoy of Hope’s agriculture training and resources, local farmers’ fields take on new life. Just ask Nepalese farmer Tek. Unable to support his family, he had taken out a loan to make ends meet. Through Convoy’s Agriculture program, Tek learned about high tunnel farming — using covered hoop structures to protect crops from harsh weather, offer shade, and help manage pests. Tek’s yields are up, and he is better able to provide for his family. “I would like to thank Convoy of Hope for investing in our lives,” he said.
When women are empowered to start their own businesses, the cycle of poverty is broken. In Ethiopia, Aberash and Genzeb started selling shoes after joining Convoy’s Women’s Empowerment program there. Using the skills they learned, they can both provide for their children. “I want to create job opportunities for my fellow women,” Genzeb said. “I am very thankful for Convoy of Hope’s support,” Aberash said. “My life has changed and become happy and hopeful.”
Do you want to see more success stories about empowered women? Scan here.
In 2023, to help perpetuate the transformation brought about by feeding children, Convoy of Hope trained more than 197,000 children and adults in nutrition principles, water sanitation, food preparation, and disease prevention.
An integral part of Convoy’s Women’s Empowerment programming is teaching women about their inherent worth and empowering them to advocate for themselves. In Family Health Empowerment, Convoy offers training in early childhood development, nutrition, health, hygiene, literacy, cooking, and even small-scale agriculture. “I never imagined that there were programs like this, especially in helping guide women who are pregnant in the care they should have and giving them an opportunity to learn from the experience of others,” said Victoria in Honduras.
The Center for Agriculture & Food Security (CAFS) uses 25 acres at Convoy’s Global Headquarters to resource, teach, and equip farmers in the U.S. and all over the world. Besides researching, testing, and demonstrating the best crop-growing practices, the CAFS team raises chickens and goats to demonstrate best animal husbandry practices.
The Gift of Planning
By Mary Vogen
Each year, August is National Make-a-Will Month, a great reminder of how important your estate plan is for your loved ones. If a well-intentioned legacy plan is not carefully thought through, family members must deal with a lengthier probate process, unexpected costs, and added stress during a time of loss.
This does not have to be the case.
To thank the generous friends who have supported Convoy of Hope through the years, Convoy is sharing FreeWill. This completely free resource makes creating an estate plan simple and cost-free with a resulting will or trust that is legally valid in every U.S. state.
When using FreeWill, it’s also easy to include a legacy gift that ensures Convoy can continue its mission to relieve poverty and hunger for years to come.
Use the QR code on the back cover to access FreeWill and begin creating an estate plan today that will protect your loved ones and carry out your legacy goals for the future.
Want to learn more about Children’s Feeding? Scan here.
For more information on leaving a legacy or maximizing your giving strategies, email hopesociety@ convoyofhope.org.
