At Food for the Hungry, we recognize that our work is interconnected and requires partners. In fact, our purpose statement starts with the word “together”: Together, we follow God’s call responding to human suffering and graduating communities from extreme poverty. As the African proverb says: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” For this reason, we’re excited to share some of the partnerships that multiply our efforts in ending poverty around the world.
No Such Thing As Self-Sufficiency
As we graduate communities into sustaining a flourishing future, we recognize that sustainability doesn’t mean “self-sufficient.” The Bible says that no one is sufficient on his or her own, but rather that our sufficiency and competency comes from God. We are dependent always on Him, and on others. We are built to be in community and to participate in it. This is also why one of the ways we measure a holistic change in poverty alleviation is by measuring a community’s care for others.
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.”
-2 Corinthians 3:5
Every year as we’re looking back on the achievements of the previous year to build hope and end poverty in the lives of the most vulnerable, we are humbled by the partnerships that propel us in our work. Some are new partnerships that breathe new life into our work. Others are long-held partnerships that grow sweeter over time. In celebration of our recently published Annual Report from 2019, here are some of our key partnerships — including yours!
Implementing Partners
We’re so grateful for our compassionate and grateful partners who join us in our work. Together, with a shared mission to end poverty, we’re able to expand our programs and reach more communities around the world. In the humanitarian sector and in doing Kingdom work, there are never competitors, just peers! Some organizations we are lucky to partner with include USAID, World Vision, the World Food Programme, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Free Wheelchair Mission, Vitamin Angels, and more. Whether it’s through complementary programming or generous funding to reach additional vulnerable populations, our partners scale our impact — sometimes even up to 22 times!
For example, in the Bahamas, we are partnering with Water Mission to provide free drinking water after Category 5 Hurricane Dorian hit the country last August 2019. While FH is providing funding, operational support, and coordination, Water Mission is operating reverse osmosis systems as the expert engineers on the ground. Together, we can go farther in our work by leveraging the strengths of the two organizations.
Church Partnerships
We love our church partners! Through annual team visits, group trainings, special offerings, and sponsoring an entire community together, churches are God’s chosen vehicle. We partner with hundreds of churches that invest long-term into communities through child sponsorship.
One of the compelling stories this past year came from one of our church partners, Greater Phoenix Chinese Christian Church (GPCCC). One member, Song Vong, lived in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge. He was separated from his family, put into a labor camp, and starved. Fortunately, he escaped to Thailand, lucky to survive, and ultimately went to the United States. Although he began a new life, Song Vong never forgot the people of his country. Alongside his church, he partnered with FH to lift a Cambodian community out of poverty. Recently, he went back to a nation that once brought him pain. This time, he went as a champion for the people still living there in need. Watch his incredible story of survival and restoration:
Child Sponsors and Individuals
We can never thank our child sponsors enough! In the hard places, child sponsorship allows FH to focus on children by building a future where they can thrive. Child sponsors provide food, improved education and health, clean water, and important knowledge and skills to children, families, and entire communities. Child sponsorship also allows FH to train families about health topics and livelihood opportunities through Cascade Groups. In 2019, you helped sponsor 139,655 children in 17 countries on three continents!
You are bringing hope to children in desperate situations, one letter at a time. In doing so, we know that mutual transformation takes place. In reality, child sponsors are never the same after saying “yes” to the Lord! If you are not sponsoring a child, you can take a step of faith and become a child sponsor today.
Thank you for your partnership in 2019 and beyond!
Continue Reading:
Our Favorite Child Sponsorship Letters: Edition #1
3 Big Reasons Why FH’s Disaster Work Needs Partners
Championing the Vulnerable: Advocacy Highlights This Past Year
