DISASTER UPDATE

COVID-19 Crisis

Feed the Children is delivering food and essentials to communities across the nation. Our trucks are going out every day. We have delivered 230 shipments of emergency relief to communities struggling during this crisis, and more supplies are going out every day.

Some highlights:


  • We have received 4,434,670 pounds of donations for COVID-19 relief.

  • 376 shipments delivered to communities in need.

  • To date, Feed the Children has worked with 215 community partners to distribute more than 10.2 million pounds of food and essentials to families across America who have been affected by COVID-19.

  • NBA stars like Stephen Curry, Dwyane Wade, Lisa Leslie, and Boban Marjanovic are taking the #ShirtOffShootOut Challenge on social media to raise funds to support our work.

  • Through the generosity of our disaster relief corporate donors, we’re able to make a delivery of N95 masks to first responders.

  • COVID-19 cases continue to climb worldwide; the Philippines has reached over 6,500 cases, and there are over 500 cases in Honduras. Our teams on the ground continue to promote safe distancing and hygiene practices to help curb the spread.

  • In Oklahoma, over 700 hospitality workers who are unemployed due to COVID-19 were able to pick up care packages containing a 25 lb. box of non-perishable food and a 12 lb. box of personal essentials. This outreach was made possible thanks to our partners at the Crossings Community Church and the Discovery Church of Yukon.

  • In Texas, our partners at food pantries and food banks received over a 100,000 pounds of vital essentials to distribute to their communities.

  • In Ohio, over 19,000 lbs. of food and hygiene products went to families in Canal Winchester.

  • Over 46,000 lbs. of relief reached people in California.

  • In Nicaragua, our staff is working with Convoy of Hope to distribute food and hygiene supplies to those in need, in anticipation of COVID-related shortages.

  • In Haiti, our staff visited 6 communities with Care Groups to distribute hygiene kits, brochures, and materials for hand washing stations. These stations consist of buckets equipped with soap and chlorine. They make it possible for people to maintain sanitation while living in areas with limited access to water.

  • In Guatemala, the Teen Club has been passing on their education to families. They have constructed hand washing dispensers from recycled beverage cans, in order to save water and improve hygiene.

Tornadoes in Tennessee

Our neighbors in Tennessee are recovering from the tragic devastation of tornadoes. We are thinking of them today, praying for them and preparing relief aid. Please join us to lend a helping hand to support our neighbors. The donation you make today will bring essentials and comfort to those affected by the tornadoes in Tennessee.

News Update

We continue to respond with essentials and food to those impacted by the tragic tornadoes that ripped through Nashville in February, causing widespread damage and thousands of residents to wake up without power. At least three tornadoes, including an EF 3, were reported along a 145-mile stretch through Nashville. Reports indicate that families had little time to prepare when a tornado warning was issued around 12:35 a.m. for Davidson county. This morning, first responders are assessing damage. As many as 45 buildings in downtown Nashville and homes have sustained substantial damage. The tragedy continues to unfold as there have been 22 confirmed fatalities in four counties (Putnam, Benton, Wilson and Davidson), and more than 150 people were transported to surrounding hospitals for sustaining storm related injuries.

Feed the Children’s disaster response and U.S. logistics team will be providing hope to our neighbors by diligently reaching out to work with our partners on the ground to assess the needs of the community.

Feed the Children Offers Hope and Help to Families Affected by Disasters

Through our vast network of community partners, we provided immediate aid to those affected by Hurricanes Florence and Lane in 2018. Throughout our history, we have responded to hundreds of disasters and distributed millions of dollars in food and essentials to those in impacted areas.

Hurricane Florence Disaster Relief Help

The destruction left by Hurricane Florence continues to create challenges for the people of North and South Carolina. In Wilmington, 52% reported no fuel, and in the Greenville/New Bern/Washington area, fuel outages were reported at 38%.

  • Feed the Children delivered over half a million pounds of food and essentials to community partners in vulnerable areas.
  • Supplies included ready-to-eat food, soups, beverages, paper goods, cleaning supplies, cereal, snack items, flashlights, batteries, and protein bars.
  • We provided food and supplies to over 2,000 people in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
  • Feed the Children teamed up with several partner agencies in the affected areas, including 21 Reasons to Give, Operation Compassion, Christian Appalachian Project, Convoy of Hope, Harbor Light Worship Ministries, Reach Out American International, Midwest Food Bank, and Mankind United to Save African Children.

Our Work with Hurricane Florence and Lane 2018

The storms, which had catastrophic flooding, had forced mandatory evacuations across the eastern seaboard affecting approximately 1.5 million people. More than a dozen shipments of supplies totaling approximately 355,000 pounds from Feed the Children were already on their way to help residents in North and South Carolina as well as Virginia before the storms arrived. Feed the Children was working hand-in-hand with local agencies such as Operation Compassion, Convoy of Hope, Mankind United to Save African Children, Harbor Light Worship Ministries, Reach Out American International, 21 Reasons to Give, Christian Appalachian Project and Midwest Food Bank-Bloomington to help with outreach efforts.

As Hurricane Florence approached the coastline it was expected to make landfall by Fri., Sep. 14, Feed the Children worked diligently with corporate partners and local agencies to allocate shipments of food, water and disaster relief supplies for those who would be affected by the impending storm. Many long-time partners such as StarKist, Energizer, Niagra, Campbell Soup Company, BNRG, Treehouse Private Brands, FitJoy Nutrition, Post Consumer Brands, White Wave and Frito-Lay donated supplies in addition to their support to help displaced residents.

“We are very dedicated to making sure the residents affected by Florence have the food and supplies they need to survive this potentially life-threatening storm,” said John Ricketts, Director of Disaster Services at Feed the Children. “We are working with our partners on the ground to distribute supplies. We are calling on communities and partners across the U.S to help our neighbors in their time of need.”

In the event of a disaster, quick response times are crucial to relief efforts. At Feed the Children, we know how important it is to anticipate and immediately address damage caused by hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and tornadoes — anything that leaves children and their families vulnerable. Feed the Children helps reduce the effects of a disaster to communities around the world by:

  • Providing emergency response
  • Distributing food, essentials, water and cleaning supplies to families in need
  • Sending Kid’s Disaster Packs for children
  • Assisting in rebuilding and recovery efforts
  • Training in disaster-risk reduction
  • Supplying personal hygiene kits

Helping Families

Volunteers

Meals

You Can Make A Difference When Disaster Strikes

Disasters are devastating and can be an emotional time for families as they begin to pick up the pieces and move on. With help from partnering agencies and generous donors, Feed the Children can support communities impacted by natural disasters by providing them with food, essentials, water and cleaning supplies. Here’s how you can help:

  • A direct donation helps Feed the Children purchase much-needed supplies for families recovering from their loss.
  • Gift-in-kind, from our generous corporate partners, provides food, cleaning supplies and essential items for Feed the Children Disaster Relief boxes which allow families and their children to begin rebuilding their lives.

If you are interested in supporting affected areas in either of these ways or if you have additional questions, please contact your Corporate Partner or Corporate Donor Relations representative on how you can get involved.