- Portland-Based nonprofit Child Aid announces OPERATION WHITE FLAG HUNGER RELIEF. A short-term emergency food infusion effort meant to feed up to 10,000 people.
- Child Aid partners with United Way Guatemala to deliver a total of 4,600 food relief boxes
Portland, Oregon, May 28, 2020 — Literacy nonprofit Child Aid (www.child-aid.org) launches today the Operation White Flag Hunger Relief. Meant to deliver emergency shelf-stable food to 2,500 children and their families in Guatemala. The six-week long effort will act as a stopgap measure to stave off starvation during the COVID-19 crisis. Child Aid seeks to raise $150,000 to mitigate the cost of this campaign.
In the next six weeks, Child Aid will purchase food boxes from United Way Guatemala. Then, deliver the shelf-stable food and emergency supplies enough to sustain a family of six for 21 days.
Each food box is filled with these staples and more:
- One pound of beans
- One pound of rice
- One liter of oil
- One pound of noodles
- Powdered milk
- Salt
- Sugar
- Hand sanitizer
- Vitamins for children
- One Spanish-language children’s storybook
During Operation White Flag Hunger Relief, Child Aid will use our extensive network of local leaders to make possible two food distributions in the next six weeks from more than 30 elementary schools in the geographically remote and impoverished communities where our organization works. Using proper personal protection and safety protocols, our staff will hand out 4,600 food relief boxes to families.
Through our campaign, Child Aid expects to feed about roughly 10,000 hungry people, including many of children who attend our schools.
THE PROBLEM:
In response to the spread of the Coronavirus in Guatemala, the government has implemented strict curfews, shut down schools (where many students received their only meal of the day) and implemented social distancing rules that nearly crippled the informal economy. The sudden dip in tourism revenue also hurt the financial health of Guatemala. Inflation and food insecurity followed, and families who normally teeter on the edge of extreme poverty find themselves, without immediate intervention, facing starvation. The Guatemalan government has responded with several food relief drops — and Child Aid assisted in several distributions — but there are long time gaps between food drops, the last one being nearly two months ago. In the meantime, children we know and love are suffering the terrible and life-long effects of slow starvation.
WHY CHILD AID?
Our organization is uniquely suited to this emergency situation. Normally, Child Aid provides books and school supplies to some of the most impoverished and geographically remote villages. Today, our local staff members are using their unique management skills and know-how to deliver emergency food into nearly inaccessible areas. We are using our network of professional relationships with teachers and school administrators to turn more than 30 of the 100 elementary schools where we work into food distribution centers.
Child Aid’s greatest hope is to reach the most vulnerable children and their families with life-saving food.
For more information about Child Aid’s Operation White Flag Hunger Relief or to arrange interviews or access photos and videos, please contact Child Aid Director of Public Relations Helyn Trickey Bradley @ 404-384-4143 or helyn.bradley@child-aid.org – website: www.child-aid.org
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ABOUT CHILD AID:
We are a Portland-based literacy nonprofit working to bring books and comprehensive teacher training to elementary-age children in some of the poorest communities in Guatemala. To date, our organization works in 100 schools, reaching nearly 62,000 children with transformative education and literacy skills.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Helyn Trickey Bradley // Child Aid Public Relations Manager // C – 404-384-4143 // helyn.bradely@child-aid.org