Power of 10: Food Support During Covid-19

Hi.  My name is Theresa Vigarino.  I am a mom and I love children.  All children. That is why, after my own children were raised and on their own,  I started a nonprofit, Moms House For Children (check us out- www.MomsHouseForChildren.org).  

SOUTH AFRICA

Here are a few snapshots of my recent trip to South Africa.  In the photo above, you can see I am in an in-depth meeting with my friend, and Mom's House Regional Director, Lotus Khoza.  He works with a well established nonprofit that has been in the region for over 25 years.  We are discussing the projects we will work on together in the future.  Right now, the plea for assistance is paramount.


HELPING THE CHILDREN IN THE MOST VULNERABLE REGIONS is what we do.  Serving those in the most destitute regions has become our passion.  To ease the suffering of those with little to no access to resources and assistance, is the mission of this charity.  


My love for children has taken me to far away places, where we are working with local communities to improve the lives of the children, particularly orphaned and vulnerable children in South Africa.


I visited these communities earlier this year and realized my dream of extending my love for children of Africa.  A long held dream in my heart is front and center! We are currently in collaboration with a local foundation to build child care facilities, resource water, provide supplies and develop programs in the region.  


THE NEED IS REAL AND UNLIKE ANYTHING I HAVE WITNESSED.  This is an urgent call for an urgent need.  


What I noticed and witnessed in January this year, left an imprint on my heart that will remain.  I was informed by the local administration of the child care facilities, that food scarcity is an ongoing issue for them.   Often they run out of both food and food money, and the "caregivers" must use their own money to support these children, which is an incredible strain.  Oftentimes, there just isn’t enough.  When I was there, they had been out of food support for months. If a facility wins the National Lottery for a food stipend, it is typically far less than what is required. 


For most of these children, the only meal they will receive is at school or at the child care facility.  

During this time of a global pandemic, the hardest hit regions are the rural communities.  School closures and child care facility closures leave the orphaned and vulnerable with little to no resources for food or water. 


Unfortunately, the rural areas are the last to receive support from government agencies, so these areas rely on the private and nonprofit sector to assist.  


We have heard the call and we are taking action, NOW.  


This is an urgent plea as this need is growing by the day!  We are working with local organizations in the area to arrange food parcel deliveries to the children in these 24 communities.  We have already provided food assistance to two communities in February. Our help provided two months of food for over 300 children earlier this year, prior to the pandemic.  

WE ARE GOING BIG!

Now, we want to elevate our efforts to include ALL of the orphaned and vulnerable children in the entire region.  That is 24 communities, each with over 200 orphaned and vulnerable. There are at least 5,000 children who will have great difficulty eating regular meals, during this crisis.  We have some work to do. Will you help?


WE KNOW WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THE DESIRE TO HELP THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD!  WE BELIEVE THERE ARE MANY MOMS, DADS AND KIDS THAT WANT TO HELP THESE HUNGRY, ORPHANED AND VULNERABLE  CHILDREN OF THE WORLD!


With YOUR HELP, we know this is possible and we can succeed in this campaign quickly.  Every day counts. Every hour matters. Every dollar will help feed a child.


SOUTH AMERICA 

The Amazon Jungle is a special place and has become a second home to me.  I have received so many blessings from my travels to this region in search of healing an "incurable" illness.  I have spent months in the jungle with these wonderful people who care for me and all others that come for the work with the Shamans.

They are out of food.  Their shutdown is incredibly strict to the point that the villages are not allowed to hunt or fish for their food.  The villages in this region, Nauta, Peru, are becoming increasingly devastated by the pandemic.  Entire villages are out of food and the children are about to starve.

It is time to help and we have heard the call.  Your donations will help support these children with rice, beans, oatmeal and powdered milk.   The information I'm receiving is that they are completely out of food.  We need your support!

Unfortunately, the government is these remote areas do not facilitate food supply which leaves these families unable to support their children or themselves.  

THE NEED IS URGENT AND NOW!

Nancy Lupe, owner of Lakshmi Eco-Lodge and our Regional Director for the area is organizing distribution of food supplies to the children and those in the most need.  


WE ARE SUPPORTING THE HUNGRY HERE AT HOME!


We also care about the children here in the States, and have decided to help out our community, as well.  We are supporting,  No Kid Hungry, a United States Nonprofit that provides meals to school children who otherwise would not have food.  


Right now, No Kid Hungry is busy with this crisis, as 22 million children here at home regularly rely on school meals for sustenance.  With school closures, this intensifies the necessary food support to those with food insecurities.  


Now, more than ever, is the time to be generous.  Thousands of children worldwide depend on the generosity and support from others to sustain life, especially during this crisis.  Consider donating your $10 today!!


THE POWER OF 10


This fundraiser is EASY!  This is the Power of 10 campaign!  Donate $10 and share this effort with 10  family or friends to join us on our movement to support hungry children of the world.  It’s that easy! Let’s spread the word, the energy and the effort to ensure the kids in America, the kids in rural South Africa and along the Amazon River will have food!  We know that full bellies are happy bellies!




We know that together, we can make a difference!  


In South Africa, they live by this proverb:

“If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together”.  

Thank you for your kind and generous heart!!  Together, we can go far.

Theresa Vigarino
Founder, Mom's House For Children
www.MomsHouseForChildren.org