Quarterly Christian Artists Unite for Relief VP Pence Visits Convoy VP Pence DISASTER RESPONSE REPORT RESPONSE DISASTER
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Quarterly Hurricane Harvey Hurricane Irma Hurricane Maria Mexico Earthquake Wildfires SPECIAL EDITION: DISASTER RESPONSE REPORT ISSUE HOPE 10 IN EVERY STORM in everyHope storm Appearance on ABC’s “Shark Tank” VP Pence visits Convoy Christian artists unite for relief ISSUE 10 Quarterly 330 S. Patterson Ave., Springfield, MO 65802 Hope Quarterly is published by Convoy of Hope. Published: Winter 2017 EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Kirk Noonan Managing Editor Molly Erickson Production Manager Morgan Mills CREATIVE Creative Director Jeff Hedrick Graphic Artist Jacob Scowden Photo Editor Jess Heugel Photographers Rachel Boyd, Nikki Simmons, Easton Thiele Contributors Gaylon Wampler, David Dobson, Taye Taye, Jordan Hansen, Ross Kyker Special Thanks Kevin Jonas, Kay Logsdon, David Cribbs, Dominick Garcia, Hugh “Ossie” Mills, Dishan Wickramaratne, Nick Garza, Klayton Ko, Brad Rosenberg, Barry Corey, Court Durkalski, Randy Hurst, Tom Carter, Brad Trask, Aaron Cole, Cheryl Jamison, Kirk Yamaguchi Feedback [email protected] Website convoyofhope.org Donations to our Feed the World Fund will Twitter @convoyofhope be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $1 million Facebook /convoyofhope through December 31, 2017. Postmaster Send address changes: Hope Quarterly 330 S. Patterson Ave. convoy.org/match Springfield, MO 65802 On The Cover: The 299-foot Roger White delivers relief supplies to the British Virgin Islands. Photographer: David Dobson 10 6 major responses since August 25 22 4 FROM THE PRESIDENT 10 HURRICANE HARVEY — TEXAS, USA 12 HURRICANE IRMA — BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS — TURKS AND CAICOS 10M — FLORIDA, USA 20 DISASTER MAP Meals distributed. 21 HURRICANE MARIA — PUERTO RICO 22 MEXICO EARTHQUAKE 23 WILDFIRES HOPE IN EVERY STORM — CALIFORNIA/MONTANA, USA 6 24 PARTNERS 26 ABOUT CONVOY 3 FROM THE PRESIDENT A message from Hal Donaldson Thank you for supporting served in places like Texas, Florida, Convoy of Hope. Puerto Rico, Mexico, California Your and the British Virgin Islands. They This special edition highlights have received emergency food, Support the incredible impact your gifts water, solar lamps, shelter, hygiene have had on the lives of people supplies and much more. victimized by recent disasters. I have been in the devastated areas Your kindness has enabled us to and had the opportunity to comfort bring hope to people around the people by telling them they aren’t world, and for that, we are grateful. Hal Donaldson Thank you for your trust and President alone … and assuring them that we aren’t leaving until we’ve helped partnership. May God bless you everyone we can. for all you’ve done to give hope to @haldonaldson on Twitter people in their hour of need. That’s been made possible because of generous friends like you. To date, hundreds of thousands of people have been Donaldson visited disaster sites in Texas, Florida, the BVI, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Watch the journey at convoy.org/findinghope 4 Staff and volunteers unload relief supplies for survivors in need. 5 SPECIAL EDITION: DISASTER RESPONSE REPORT 6 Between August 25 and October 11, six major disasters occurred at home and around the world. The following unfolds our unprecedented response to bring hope in every storm. ISSUE HOPE 10 STORM in everyHope storm Reported By: Kirk Noonan Molly Erickson Morgan Mills Disaster Services Team 7 SPECIAL EDITION: DISASTER RESPONSE REPORT n August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey (a Category 4 storm) made landfall in Southeast Texas. Devastating winds ripped roofs off O structures and downed power lines as record rainfall flooded hundreds of thousands of homes and displaced tens of thousands of people. Before Harvey was done thrashing Texas and Louisiana, it killed 89 people and caused an estimated $200 billion in damage — making it the costliest natural disaster in United States history. Convoy of Hope responded to As our teams scrambled to deliver were dispatched to Mexico with hard-hit communities immediately food, water and supplies to these lifesaving food and aid. with food, water and emergency island nations, wildfires began supplies. But, just as our teams began burning in Montana. A rapid-response As our teams served hundreds of to hit their stride, Hurricane Irma team delivered aid to the drought- thousands of people, more wildfires (which registered as a Category 5 ridden state. broke out in Northern California. storm) began wreaking havoc in the In short order, Convoy of Hope was Caribbean. In response, Convoy of Then a 7.1-magnitude earthquake headed to Napa Valley. Hope dispatched teams to the British struck central Mexico killing nearly Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos and 400 people and decimating entire Puerto Rico. communities. Convoy of Hope teams *All stats as of Q3. OPPOSITE: Family assesses what’s left of their hurricane-damaged home. August 25 September 6 September 12 HURRICANE HURRICANE MONTANA HARVEY IRMA WILDFIRES 8 Hope in every storm September 19 September 20 October 11 MEXICO HURRICANE CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKE MARIA WILDFIRES 9 SPECIAL EDITION: DISASTER RESPONSE REPORT TEXAS, USA “The water came When Hurricane Harvey hit in bulk distribution in Victoria, Texas, in and we went August, it was the first major providing survivors with food, water, upstairs. I tried hurricane to make landfall in 12 years hygiene kits and other much-needed in the United States. As a Category relief supplies. to close the doors 4 hurricane, 125 mph winds caused to protect the kids mass destruction and some residents We continued to expand our work experienced up to five feet of rain. to dozens of cities across Southeast from drowning.” Texas, helping those who lost literally Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services everything. team arrived ahead of the storm to pre-position supplies. Following the “I’m a single mom and I’ve lost storm, Convoy set up operations for everything,” says Teresa Robles, a 10 Hope in every storm Hurricane Harvey hurricane survivor in Houston. “The water came in and we went upstairs. I tried to close the doors to protect the kids from drowning.” Hurricane Harvey affected hundreds of thousands of people in Texas, but Convoy of Hope and our partners offered hope during the storm. “I feel fine now because there are good people with good hearts who want to help others,” Robles adds. The Robles Family has been given that hope because of friends like you who enable us to respond quickly and effectively. 5.8M Pounds of relief supplies delivered. OPPOSITE: The Robles family stands in their water-damaged kitchen. TOP: Major points of distribution were established across Texas communities. BOTTOM: Local volunteers help pack meals and supplies. 11 SPECIAL EDITION: DISASTER RESPONSE REPORT Hurricane Irma BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS The Roger White — a 299-foot Sustained winds — estimated were distributed and debris removal supply vessel commissioned by to be near 185 mph — sent roofs crews began clearing schools and Convoy of Hope — motors toward flying, stripped blades of grass from parks. port on Tortola, the largest and most mountainsides and plucked telephone populated island in the British Virgin poles, in their entirety, from the Islands, which were all but decimated ground. Thousands of windows “We had the by Hurricane Irma. were blown out as the country’s opportunity to communications and power grids Onboard, an eager crew oversees two were destroyed. serve the entire portable commercial kitchens along with dozens of shipping containers Among the first disaster-relief nation. And we filled with more than $2-million organizations on the ground, embraced it.” worth of emergency food, water, Convoy of Hope made quick work of LuminAID Solar Lanterns, water establishing contact with government “We had the opportunity to serve the filters, tarps, lumber, fuel, generators agencies and fellow organizations. entire nation,” says Kirk Noonan, vice and much more. In doing so, food, water and supplies president of Communications and were rushed to thousands of families Innovation for Convoy of Hope, “And “Hurricane Irma destroyed the in need. Points of distribution were we embraced it. In partnership with islands,” says Carman Blydan, a established throughout the islands, leaders and volunteers in the BVI, resident of the BVI. “We have never cash vouchers — valid at local we will continue to help this island experienced something like this.” grocery stores and restaurants — nation as long as we are needed.” ROGER WHITE 12 Hope in every storm ABOVE: Hot meals being distrubted on the streets of the British Virgin Islands. LEFT: LuminAID Solar Lanterns provide much-needed light to families in the British Virgin Islands. 2,500 LuminAID Solar Lanterns distributed. 13 SPECIAL EDITION: DISASTER RESPONSE REPORT 14 Hope in every storm 546,830 Meals distributed. TOP: Homes and businesses in Turks and Caicos lay wrecked following the Category 5 Hurricane Irma. BOTTOM: Members of the response team load immediate relief supplies onto a plane. TURKS AND CAICOS It was a night that seemed endless. The wind raged, persistent in its mission to obliterate every structure in its path. As the storm progressed, it tore open roofs, shattered windows and sent debris flying haphazardly down the streets. Hurricane Irma struck Turks and Caicos as a Category 5 storm and quickly laid waste to the island nation. But, Convoy of Hope was able to respond immediately in desperate circumstances, providing help to people in dire need. Following the hurricane, Convoy of Hope team members boarded a plane filled with much-needed relief supplies. We worked with government officials and emergency managers to get food, water filters, tarps, lanterns and hygiene items into the hands of survivors. To date, Convoy of Hope has served tens of thousands of people in Turks and Caicos whose lives have been forever changed. Thanks to your kindness, we have given survivors renewed hope for the future. 15 SPECIAL EDITION: DISASTER RESPONSE REPORT FLORIDA, USA After Hurricane Irma flattened parts Convoy of Hope to take the lead and of the British Virgin Islands and coordinate donations for the entire “Thank you, Jesus, Turks and Caicos, it turned into a state of Florida, serving families in for sending the tropical storm that caused mass need.