Convoy of Hope is an American nonprofit
humanitarian and
disaster relief organization that provides food, supplies, and humanitarian services to impoverished or otherwise needy populations throughout the world. The organization also engages in disaster relief work. It was founded in 1994 by Hal Donaldson in
Sacramento
)
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, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, later moved its headquartered to its currently place in
Springfield,
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
, and is associated with the
Assemblies of God.
History
Convoy of Hope was founded as a nonprofit organization in
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
in 1994 by Hal Donaldson alongside is brothers, Steve and Dave.
Donaldson was spurred to start the charity because of the kindness shown to him and his family after his father was killed and his mother seriously injured in a 1969 car accident caused by a drunk driver.
Donaldson also had an interaction with
Mother Teresa
Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, MC (; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa ( sq, Nënë Tereza), was an Indian-Albanian Catholic nun who, in 1950, founded the Missionaries of Charity. Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu () was ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
in the late 1980s that further persuaded him to begin the organization.
Initially, Donaldson handed out food to the needy. In 1995, Convoy of Hope held its first large food distribution event in which they gave 700,000 pounds of food to 70,000 people.
In 1996, Donaldson was offered a job in Springfield, Missouri and moved Convoy of Hope's headquarters there as well.
Soon after the organization's arrival in Springfield, a local businessman donated a semi-truck and paid for a driver and fuel for one year. Fundraisers organized by the
Assemblies of God helped bring in more trucks after that.
In 2000, the organization purchased a 300,000 square-foot warehouse in Springfield to store its food and supplies.
In 2005, Convoy of Hope provided $35 million (the equivalent of 700 truckloads) in goods for disaster relief in the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina.
In 2006, the nonprofit provided access to food, medical assistance, clothing, and other services and resources to just under 4 million people. The following year, it began collaborating with the
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 b ...
(USAID) to offer meals to 12,000 children in
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
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,
Haiti,
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
, and
El Salvador on a daily basis.
In 2011, the
Jonas Brothers donated $70,000 to Convoy of Hope to help fund the organization's children's feeding programs, which had expanded to
Honduras and the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. The musical group had previously donated $80,000 to fund Convoy of Hope's relief efforts after the
2010 Haiti earthquake
A catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest department, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's c ...
.
In 2012, the organization provided aid to the victims of
Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...
in the Northeastern United States and
Typhoon Bopha
Typhoon Bopha, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Pablo, was the strongest tropical cyclone on record to ever affect the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, making landfall as a Category 5 super typhoon with winds of 175 mph (2 ...
in the Philippines.
By 2014, 20 years after its founding, Convoy had provided services to a total 67 million people in over 100 countries.
As of 2019, the organization has provided a total of $1 billion in food and aid, helping over 115 million people in the process.
In October 2019, Convoy of Hope was given a 4-star rating for the 16th year in a row by
Charity Navigator, a charity assessment organization. Four stars is the highest rating given by Charity Navigator.
Services
![Mazie Hirono with Convoy of Hope volunteers - 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Mazie_Hirono_with_Convoy_of_Hope_volunteers_-_2012.jpg)
Convoy of Hope provides a variety of services to communities throughout the world. One of its primary functions is as a
first responder organization in the wake of disasters.
It maintains a fleet of tractor-trailers and other vehicles that can be deployed throughout the United States from its warehouse in Springfield, Missouri. Other vehicles include a chainsaw trailer, mobile bunkhouses, and mobile bathrooms. The tractor trailers that arrive at disaster locations are designed to help Convoy of Hope workers "arrive self-sufficient and ready to provide aid."
International relief efforts are often undertaken in collaboration with local organizations and churches.
Convoy of Hope relies on donations, monetary contributions, and volunteer work to provide relief. It also partners with companies like
Bass Pro Shops
BPS Direct, L.L.C, doing business as Bass Pro Shops, is an American privately held retailer which specializes in hunting, fishing, camping, and other related outdoor recreation merchandise. With headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, Bass P ...
,
The Home Depot
The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement re ...
,
Culligan
Culligan is a global water treatment company with network of dealers and direct operations spawn across 90 countries with 1,000 dealers, over 600 in North America alone, and over 7,500 employees.
History
Culligan was founded in 1936 by Emmett C ...
,
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...
, and
Hormel Foods
Hormel Foods Corporation is an American food processing company founded in 1891 in Austin, Minnesota, by George A. Hormel as George A. Hormel & Company. The company originally focused on the packaging and selling of ham, sausage and other pork ...
(among others) that donate food and supplies for the organization's efforts.
Convoy of Hope hosts large-scale Community Events, mostly in locations throughout the United States.
Convoy of Hope's Community Events deliver food, goods, and services totaling around $1 million in value. Some of the services provided for free include haircuts, dental exams, and health screenings.
The events also often feature children's activities and live entertainment. Most of the goods and services are donated and volunteered by members of local businesses, churches, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations.
In 2018, the organization hosted 61 of these one-day events throughout the United States.
In 2003, Convoy of Hope started their Rural Compassion Initiative, which partners with churches, organizations, and other community leaders to provide resources, supplies, and training to rural communities in need.
In 2017, the organization worked with 1,200 churches through its Rural Compassion Initiative to deliver 91,000 pairs of shoes to children in rural areas.
The program also provides items like food, backpacks, toys, and other supplies for churches, schools, agencies, and other organizations in rural areas.
Convoy of Hope also operates a Women's Empowerment program that is designed to educate women and girls in vulnerable communities. It also provides entrepreneurial training and seed capital for women to start their own businesses. Around 2,800 women in nine different countries participated in these programs in 2017. Convoy of Hope also has a children's feeding program that provides daily meals to children in developing countries throughout the world. In 2019, the program was feeding 200,000 children per day in 14 countries.
The program was originally started in 2006 in collaboration with USAID.
References
{{reflist
External links
Official website
Companies based in Springfield, Missouri
Charities based in Missouri
Christian charities based in the United States
Development charities based in the United States
Christian organizations established in 1994
Christian relief organizations