It seems, on many levels, our world has been turned upside down. Many things we had taken for granted are now uncertain. And, our daily routines are no more. That has certainly been the case for me and our Gleaning For The World team. Yet, through it all, we stand firm and committed to making a real and lasting difference in these days of turmoil.
While multiple cities are essentially locked down in China, federal health authorities in the United States are expecting a sustained transmission of the virus and are calling for businesses, schools and communities to brace themselves and plan for potential outbreaks. As one health expert made clear, “The question isn’t if the virus will expand in the US, the question is when…and the disruption to everyday life might be severe.”
Devastating stories of residents still searching for loved ones, stories about the 25 victims, children and adults, who have died as a result of this storm, and the stories of those who have lived through it break my heart. As you can imagine, they’ve just experienced one of the most traumatic events a person can go through.
Normally, we park our big truck in front of Sam’s Club whenever disaster strikes, and we ask for help from the public. We ask our supporters to share love with those in need. That’s why we chose Sam’s Club as our location to give back to as many people as we can this Valentine’s Day.
when disaster strikes, our first step is to find a distribution partner— that is, a like-minded partner who will receive and distribute the items we ship—in the area affected by the storm. We have partners all over the world through our network, but it takes time to find someone in the right location (especially in an area we have not worked before) to help victims of each disaster.
It’s true in business, it’s true at church, and it’s true in the nonprofit world! For us, each January is filled with goal setting activities – staff discussions around our strengths and weaknesses, evaluating our team’s past performance, identifying areas for improvement – all for the purpose of setting and successfully reaching our goals in the new year.
It’s January – for many, that means a time for renewal, rejuvenation … and resolutions. A fresh start! Do you make resolutions each year? I’d like to ask you to consider making another resolution this January… a monthly partnership with Gleaning. Proverbs 29:18 says, “where there is no vision, the people perish…” We have a vision of growth in 2020, and we need your help!
As you know, the end of the year brings the perfect opportunity to show support to the nonprofits you stand behind by giving a financial gift. Would you consider giving a tax deductible year-end gift to Gleaning today? Together, we can make a difference to those needing to feel God’s love during their most desperate moments.
For those who are willing to step out in faith and trust God with their well-being, I have seen amazing life-change. God gave to us and He has given us the choice to give to others.
Due to the widespread multiple fires in the area, some had to travel as far as 80 miles to find an emergency shelter that had room for them!
