Christian humanitarian organization World Vision managed to reach 59 million people worldwide in its response to the Covid-19 crisis.
Founded in 1950, World Vision launched its largest domestic and international response to date shortly after the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. World Vision partnered with more than 124,000 pastors and faith leaders in more than 40 countries to help the world’s most vulnerable population.
This incredible work could not have been done without our valuable church partners. —Edgar Sandoval, President and CEO of World Vision U.S.
In the US, the evangelical aid organization worked with 1,300 churches and donated nearly 3 million fresh food boxes through the USDA Farmers to Families program. World Vision was able to provide food and basic goods to nearly 500,000 families and it sent 2.5 million PPEs to schools and health workers.
World Vision aims to give aid and Covid-19 vaccines not only in the US, but also to impoverished countries in the world.
“Today, we remember the millions of precious lives lost to COVID-19 – and countless more families suffering the impacts of the pandemic. Yet, even as we mourn, we look ahead with hope to the many lives that will be saved with the rollout of the vaccine,” said Edgar Sandoval, President and CEO of World Vision U.S.
World Vision tapped its existing network to help communities have their own handwashing stations to lessen the risk of virus transmission and to provide protective equipment and training to health workers.
“This incredible work could not have been done without our valuable church partners. The Church has been a force for good – living outside its four walls, and working hand-in-hand with their neighbors to distribute life-saving food, PPE, and other essentials that saved lives,” Sandoval said. “Pastors and faith leaders will continue to play a critical role as the most trusted leaders in their communities. They are essential to vaccine acceptance and reaching the most vulnerable still suffering the impacts of this deadly pandemic.”
The pandemic is now entering its second year and World Vision will focus on building confidence in the Covid-19 vaccine in addition to restoring livelihoods of those severely affected by the outbreak.
“The secondary impacts of the virus on the world’s poorest people – especially children – are deadly and long-lasting. As we fight to protect people from the virus, we must also protect them from the deadly aftershocks of the pandemic. That is where World Vision will be focused. We are fully committed to empowering people living on the margins to fulfill their God-given potential,” Sandoval added.
World Vision International’s Global Director of Humanitarian Operations, Isabel Gomes, assured that, “We will continue to respond in every country where we work, with a particular focus on at-risk areas by collaborating with local authorities, hospitals, academic institutions and NGOs to prevent the spread of the virus, and to lessen its effect on the most vulnerable.”
