Convoy of Hope has been working hard across the U.S. this summer to bring help and hope to communities.
This year they’ve served 1.2 million people through their various branches (Community Events, Rural Initiatives, Community Care, and Field Teams). With the help of local churches and community groups, more than 15.5 million pounds of product has been distributed to communities.
Much of Community Engagement’s programming goes well beyond a day-long event. They are serving in communities long-term with the goal of lasting change.
“If we could break cycles of poverty in one day [through a Community Event], we would,” said Convoy’s Jason Bachman. “But we’re looking for the champions of communities who want to partner with Convoy of Hope to make a lasting impact.”
Here are some of the recent stories coming out of Community Engagement programs and hints at what’s to come.
A Summer of Service
Between its headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, and its West Coast location in Sacramento, California, Convoy serves 129 partners in over 37 local communities. In Missouri, Convoy of Hope provided groceries for the annual Backpacks & Beyond event, with over 700 people in attendance, and students from Evangel University packed 500 bags of groceries as part of their welcome back to campus.
In California, Convoy worked with churches in San Francisco to distribute toys, slippers, food, and backpacks filled with school supplies to help families start the school year right. And through a partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Shell Polymers Monaca, hundreds of groceries and socks from Convoy were distributed to those in need across Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.
Reaching Rural Communities
Convoy recently held its first Rural Initiatives training in Puerto Rico, gathering 30 pastors from around the island to learn how to best serve their communities. The training offers strategies for addressing local challenges and enhancing support in rural areas. Field Teams, Rural Initiatives, and Global Program team members will all have a role to play in helping these developments going forward.
“It’s been exciting to see collaboration within Convoy and to be strategic about how each division works together towards one goal,” Bachman said.
New Name, Same Game
Some new things are in the works, while others are the same with a new name. Convoy of Hope volunteers have taken on the name Volunteer Crew, and our semiweekly opportunity to pack products and supplies at the World Distribution Center has been renamed Hope Crew.
The work will remain the same: to serve communities in need, and to bend the heart of churches and community members so they can make a real difference.
If you’re looking for a way to get involved with all that Convoy of Hope is doing, visit convoy.org/get-involved/ and text “HOPE” to 688-28 for updates on Hope Crew events.
