Making the connection!

You want to help a child who lives in poverty? You want to have a direct connection - a relationship? Take a look at this:

Deb R. and Yorlin, in 2015

This is Deb R., from Washington state. She has chosen to sponsor a child through our Manna 4 Lempira sponsorship program. That's Yorlin, her sponsored child, in a photo from when they met last year.

For $15 per month, Deb provides Yorlin with two highly nutritious meals per week, plus school supplies (including new shoes) at the beginning of the school year . . . and more (follow this link for more info).

Deb and Yorlin also have the opportunity to exchange letters through the program, and, at certain times, Deb can send Yorlin personal gifts. Our annual shipping container provided one of those opportunities!

Deb purchased a Spanish Bible and a doll for Yorlin, and personalized a backpack for her. These items were mailed to Georgia, where they were packed in large boxes to be shipped, along with the rest of the Manna 4 Lempira items, to Maryland, and then on to Honduras.

Loading up the Manna 4 Lempira boxes in Georgia

Loading the container in Maryland

Luis unloads a Manna 4 Lempira box,
upon arrival at our home in Gracias Lempira

The Manna 4 Lempira boxes,
after what appears to have
been a rather rough journey

With all of the Manna 4 Lempira boxes here, Russell went through the boxes and the list to make sure that we had the shoes and school supplies we needed for the children in the program at the Mercedes center. On Saturday, Feb. 28th -- which also happened to be Yorlin's birthday -- our crew headed out to hand out the back-to-school gifts to the children!

Organizing the backpacks for distribution . . . 

Organizing shoes, as well . . . 

Eventually, each child in the program (including those children who are not currently matched with a sponsor) received their shoes, backpack, and school supplies. Here is Yorlin, all set for school, with her personal gifts from Deb!

Everyone involved in this program is a volunteer, so that we can stretch each donated dollar as far a possible (each sponsorship also helps feed up to 60 other children, in our general feeding program)! Would you like to be a part of it? Check out the Manna 4 Lempira Facebook page, to find out how! We will be registering new children, for inclusion in the program, later this week.