A Fresh Start for a Weary Father

YOU GAVE RIQUELME’S CHILDREN FULL BELLIES AND A SAFE HOME couldn’t afford school fees for his children, and their home was little more than a rotting storage shed riddled with holes. In the region where they live, storms would often come two or three times every week, frightening the children and threatening to destroy their poor shelter. The family also had no sanitation facilities. Riquelme shared, “Sometimes my son asks me if we are ever going to have a bathroom. I can’t afford to build one; I can barely earn enough for their food.”

Living in such difficult conditions, Riquelme and his family struggled to find hope for tomorrow. “Seeing my children like this makes me very sad. My kids don’t go to school, they don’t have beds, my house is falling apart; the small amount of money I get isn’t enough to buy materials to fix my house. I don’t like seeing them like this.”

You have changed my life and my children’s lives as well. Thank you for this blessing.”

- Riquelme

Then Operation Blessing found them—and you changed everything. Riquelme’s family received a new threebedroom house complete with a living and dining area, a kitchen, and—of course—a bathroom! Each bedroom has bunk beds and desks for the children, the dining area has a table and chairs, and the kitchen was outfitted with items they need to cook meals.

“Thank you for the house! I did not expect this at all,” said Riquelme with tears of joy. “All I ever wanted was for my children to be happy and safe in their house. Now they have rooms and beds. All of this is incredible! This is a blessing for my six kids and me—I am grateful.”

And that wasn’t the end of the story. Your generosity always goes above and beyond for those in need. Now that the family had a home, Riquelme still needed a way to feed his children without wondering where the next meal would come from. He loves making tamales, so with your help, our team matched his passion and skill with a real opportunity to make his dreams come true.

Riquelme uses his new grinding machine for his budding tamale business.

You equipped him with everything he needed to start a successful food business including a grinding machine, knives, small freezer, pots, pans, and even a cart on wheels to sell tamales outdoors—along with a good supply of key ingredients. Now, this hardworking father can provide for his young family without worrying about the future.

“Thank you to everyone who gave from their heart for my family,”

Riquelme said. “You have changed my life and my children’s lives as well. Thank you for this blessing.”

With full bellies and a new home, Riquelme’s kids were also ready to pursue an education. Your compassion took care of that need, too! Now, all the children are enrolled in school and have uniforms and supplies. One of our staff members even volunteered to tutor the kids to get them on track following the time they’d missed. It’s amazing what we can do for a family when we work together!

Our Peru team was excited to help out with the tamales!

Minnie, who compared her recent frightening experience to past events. “We went through storms, but nothing like this. It’s a lot to take in. All of a sudden it just went quiet—I mean pin-drop quiet,” she said as she fought back tears. “We didn’t even have time to get down. It was just like—boom! And we all hit the floor right there in the hallway.” She was quick to acknowledge the hand of God in their miraculous escape. “He spared us!”

Yet, although her family members survived the storm, they struggled from the trauma afterward. “Right now, we need help,” Minnie said. “You know, we need people to help us. First of all, we need prayers. We need each others’ prayers.”

You made it possible for Operation Blessing to send relief items to the affected areas, including water, emergency meal kits, and cleaning supplies. With your help, we deployed teams to both Mississippi and Arkansas. Between the two hard-hit areas, Operation Blessing was able to organize volunteer teams and offer hot meals, supplies, debris cleanup, chainsaw work, and roof tarping.

Our team helped Minnie’s family to clear up a tree and debris from the storm and coordinated re-tarping her roof. She’s so grateful to you for your love and assistance. “I just thank God for you, because you didn’t have to do it. You could have been doing something else. But He sent you our way, and we thank you—we thank you so very much for that.”

Generous friends like you are offering hope to Minnie and others who have suffered so much. We offer you our sincerest gratitude for being there for them during this difficult time.

The family of 8-year-old Fabiola in Mexico suffered from a lack of healthy food. She and her siblings went too often without adequate nutrition. Then friends like you supplied their village with a community garden to provide nutrient-rich foods. And the kids find joy in being a part of growing their own produce!

Nutritional Support

Too many children lack the nutrients they need to grow and thrive, such as iron and protein. Through our nutritional feeding programs, you give schoolchildren in places like Kenya, Peru, and Haiti the extra support they need. Not only do you offer supplements and regular nutritious school meals, but in parts of Latin America, you also make possible cooking classes to teach parents how to cook healthier meals—a valuable skill that will last a lifetime.

Disaster And Crisis Relief

Agricultural And Farming Programs

In parts of Latin America, Africa, and Asia, Operation Blessing supporters supply villages and schools with irrigation systems, greenhouses, agricultural training, chicken coops, and farm animals. As seen on the previous page, in Mexico community gardens are making a huge difference for villagers in need. Through these opportunities, struggling people can grow food for their families for many years to come, and they can sell the surplus to better meet other important needs like utilities, education, and medical care.

Anytime crisis and natural disasters strike, meeting people’s basic needs like food, hygiene supplies, and clean water is the first important step. You send support to disaster victims in dire need. In the U.S., our volunteer teams regularly pack boxes of emergency food supplies to prepare for upcoming disasters. With your help, we’ve recently distributed hunger relief after hurricanes in Florida, earthquakes in Turkey, and typhoons in the Philippines. Meanwhile, you continue sending massive quantities of food to refugees in Poland as well as directly into war-torn Ukraine.

Business And Livelihood Support

One of the best ways to provide hunger relief long into the future is by empowering people to earn a better living. Through skills training and small business support, you are fighting hunger long term and changing lives both today and for generations to come. Whether it’s through a small store in India, a start-up bakery in Nigeria, or supplies for artisans in Peru, you are helping families to increase their incomes and better provide for the needs of their children and households.

U.S. HUNGER STRIKE FORCE

In the U.S., even many working families have a difficult time making ends meet during these days of high prices. Meanwhile, seniors, single parents, the unemployed, and those who are ill particularly struggle to put food on the table. You bless them by making possible the distribution of millions of pounds worth of free food to local food pantries and other partner organizations. Large corporations donate the food, and with your help, we send out our fleet of Hunger Strike Force semi-trucks to get that food into the hands of those who need it most. In that way, your donations are leveraged for maximum impact!

Famine Relief

When famine and drought strike vulnerable countries like Kenya and South Sudan, many are robbed not only of food for their tables but also of their income opportunities. Thanks to you, Operation Blessing rushes to the scene in places like Kurungu to provide immediate relief to suffering and malnourished people.

Thank you again for feeding the hungry around the world.

God bless you for your giving heart!