A purposeful response to Tropical Storm Debby

Welcome back to the most hopeful newsletter out there! 🙌

We’re reminded this week that things like natural disasters, difficult family situations, and serving others can be hard, but there are small ways we can help every day. Stay tuned to learn the latest on how Convoy of Hope is responding around the world — and how you can help.

Hurricane Debby

Early Monday morning, Tropical Storm Debby made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 1 hurricane. It slammed through communities, knocking out power for 300,000 people and bringing nearly a foot of rain. Just last year, this same region was hit by Hurricane Idalia.

As Debby moves through Georgia and the Carolinas, the danger for heavy rainfall and historic flooding increases. 

Earlier this week, the first Convoy of Hope truck arrived with supplies such as food, water, tarps, sports drinks, and hygiene kits. More truckloads are en route from the World Distribution Center — ready to bring tangible hope and kindness to those impacted. 

Watch Convoy’s Stacy Lamb, Vice President of Disaster Services, with the latest update, and support our response here. 

Packing with purpose

Convoy of Hope got its roots in Sacramento, California, over 30 years ago — another first was celebrated there over the weekend as we held our first ever packing event at the Regional Distribution Center. Our long-time partners from Harvest Church Elk Grove packed hundreds of baby care kits and thousands of groceries to support Convoy’s response efforts. 

Looking for opportunities for you or your business to serve? Here are some places to start!

For Businesses/Organizations:

• Corporate Social Responsibility – Do some good together with your business. 
• Gift-in-Kind Donations – Donate your products, services, or expertise to help those in need. 
• Build-a-Kit Events – Provide families with hygiene products they need in times of disaster. 

For Individuals:

• Community Events – Volunteer to serve and welcome Guests of Honor as they receive valuable free resources. 
• Hands of Hope – Put your hands to work to assemble hygiene kits, bags of groceries, and other essential supplies. 
• Convoy:Women – Become an advocate for the women and girls we serve around the world by joining the Convoy:Women community. 

Ready for change

Sofia’s story was once surrounded by hopelessness.

She lives in a small village, is a mother to seven children, and is divorced — and traditionally in Moldova’s culture, men are the main source of income for the entire family. As Sofia’s financial situation worsened and she was unable to fully provide for her children, social workers came to take her children away. 

Then, Sofia’s story changed with her own will to make change in her life, receive mentorship, and reunite with her children. In the middle of that season, she was invited to join Convoy’s Women’s Empowerment program — and it brought her a more hopeful future. 

You can be a part of helping women like Sofia — learn more here. 

On the horizon

• Fore! A RangeGoats visit is heading your way — Next week, golfers from RangeGoats are tee-ing up for a day of golfing and meeting some goats as a part of Convoy’s Agriculture initiative. Stay tuned on Convoy’s Instagram for the recap.
• Let’s Talk Legacy — Convoy of Hope’s founder Hal Donaldson makes a guest appearance on the Let’s Talk Legacy podcast to share the origin story of Convoy and give a sneak peek into his newest book, What Really Matters: How to Care for Yourself and Serve a Hurting World.
• Back-to-school finds for kids — If you’re looking for some fresh threads for the fall semester, visit hopesupplyco.com and follow along on Hope Supply Co.’s social pages. 

Thanks so much for joining us for Hope Makes It Happen! Let us know your thoughts and ways we can improve in the comments below.