Helene and Milton long-term response efforts underway

Hurricane Helene made landfall three weeks ago, leaving a path of destruction throughout the Southeast region of the country. Shortly after, Floridians braced for more devastation from Hurricane Milton. 

Convoy of Hope is still on the ground in Florida, North Carolina, and surrounding states to bring tangible help and hope to those impacted. As the news cycle changes, people will still be recovering.

This week’s stories focus on how support from volunteers, partner organizations, and even marathon runners helps Convoy serve more people in a sustainable way. We hope it encourages you to do something small to help others this week. ❤️🩹

Helene and Milton responses

Convoy team members continue to see community after community with businesses, infrastructure, and homes washed away by the sheer force of Hurricane Helene. It’s there that we’re serving with mobile distributions, delivering much-needed supplies. It will take many families months to recover.

We were there even before the storms hit, and we’ll be there for the long haul.

“I thank God for Convoy of Hope because you were the first organization we saw on that Monday [after the storm],” said Pastor John White.

Partnerships play a huge role in these types of long-term responses. Clean drinking water is an essential in disaster response, and Niagara Bottling, a long-standing partner of Convoy, has donated more than 2 million bottles of water for the areas hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. 

In partnership with the Spruce Pine Fire Department in North Carolina, Convoy delivered generators to elderly residents and those who do not have access to shelters. Volunteers from a local church also drove supplies all over the side of the mountain to get them to families in need.

You can also make a difference — join the Helene response here and support the Milton response here. 

Running for agriculture

After disasters strike, Convoy of Hope works with those impacted to find sustainable solutions for the long haul. One of those solutions — our Agriculture training and resources — is able to provide for families not just in the immediate aftermath, but for generations to come. 

This weekend, Convoy team members Dr. Jason Streubel, Rhett Noonan, and Vance McDonald (who is also a former NFL player) are gearing up to run a total of 100 miles to raise awareness for Convoy’s Agriculture program. 

To date, Convoy has trained and equipped more than 110,000 farmers, giving them and their communities the tools and knowledge to break the cycle of poverty for themselves. 

Through our training, Convoy’s agriculture specialists teach production methods that encourage long-term sustainable practices and result in increased yields. Also, participants go through a series of vocational, financial, and holistic training, teaching them how to address challenges and diversify when shifts occur in the market.  

Stay tuned on Convoy’s social channels leading up to and during the big run day! If you’re inspired by this idea and would like to find other creative ways to raise awareness, visit convoyofhope.org/get-involved/. 

Speaking of running

What do the Chicago Marathon and Convoy of Hope have in common? They both provide opportunities for people to overcome extreme obstacles to accomplish something good.

Last year, Pastor Patti Bateman wanted to bring help and hope to people across the world. She decided to run the Chicago Marathon, with all proceeds going directly to support Convoy’s Women’s Empowerment program.

She set a goal of raising $1,000 for each mile, adding up to a total of $26,200 — and she met that goal. 

Through our Women’s Empowerment program, women go through training to start their own businesses. As a result, mothers are able to send their kids to school, put food on the table, and maintain a steady income.

Since 2010, we have empowered more than 148,000 women and girls. Read more of these transformational stories here.

That’s a wrap for this week’s Hope Makes It Happen! As you go, would you share this newsletter with your friends and co-workers? It gives more people a chance to get involved and make a difference. Thank you!