Over the past year, I’ve written this reflection 22 times, and I’ve never written with as heavy of a heart as I do now. The Coronavirus has spread across the world and through entire cities like New York and Detroit so quickly and so devastatingly, I shudder to think what would happen if it spread to the communities in other nations in which we have worked and built friendships over the last 26 years.
I am writing to you now to ask you to help our families so that they don’t have to choose between the risk of getting the disease by going to work in the dump and the risk of starvation by staying at home.
As many of you know from travelling with us or hearing about those travels from others, the homes of our families are often right next to each other. The room you are reading this in right now is quite likely to be larger than their home. There is rarely safe water to drink or to wash in. Latrines are often filthy and shared. Food is infrequently on hand for more than a few days at a time.
As difficult as shelter in place has been on the American economy, in the communities in which we serve not going to work could mean starving to death. There is no safety net for them.
For these reasons, our leaders in each nation have been working on solutions, and they have created plans in each community to get food, water and sanitation supplies to each of the 621 families of our 705 scholarship students in the safest way possible. The average cost in each nation for a month of food, water and sanitation supplies is $100.
Will you please help cover the cost of at least one family for at least one month with a $100 donation today? You can do so by clicking here. You can also read about our progress in each community or restrict your donation to the nation most on your heart.
Our goal is to get all 621 families in five nations covered by Good Friday on Friday, April 10.
If you would like to give but can’t because of the current conditions, can you please forward this email to a friend or two who can? I have never asked you this before and don’t ever intend to ask it again, but the nature of this request is so important I’m asking for your understanding and help in getting this urgent need met.
Thank you so much for your help in advance, and please know that we have a praying team of donors, volunteers and staff members who keep you as part of the International Samaritan family in our prayers.
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