This is the story of how Compassion’s beloved president, Wess Stafford, traveled to Washington D.C., rubbed shoulders with the mighty and powerful and still managed to return home the same humble man that we adore.

Take it away, Wess. (more…)

I have been fighting poverty for more than 30 years and throughout that time I have never seen the potential for devastation that I see in the current global food crisis. I know it’s difficult to imagine that something like rising food costs could be so destructive. It’s not as if hunger rumbles like an earthquake. He doesn’t announce himself like a passing wind of a cyclone. He destroys, but you never see him.

My heart is very heavy with the sad news we are hearing about how the current global food crisis is affecting many of our Compassion children, their families and even some of our country staff. Although we are still attempting to determine where the greatest needs are and the number of children being most adversely affected, please know that Compassion is dedicated to doing all that we can to step up our help in this area of urgent need.

Most of us are feeling the pinch of rising prices in our own lives, but to the poor even the slightest increase can be devastating. In times like this, those of us with enough have the option of reducing what we purchase. But for the needy, who are often already trying to survive on only one meal a day, they have no option but to go hungry.

Compassion has already determined that we will be able to send additional funds to each country this month. We will put an extra $1 million in the child support pool. However, we realize that this will be offset by the growing needs for unsponsored children and the loss in purchasing power of the U.S. dollar. We will release additional funds in order to respond immediately to urgent proposals for food aid.

Please join us in this cause and consider a donation to our Global Food Crisis fund, with the hope that we can provide an even greater response to the specific needs of children in poverty in the months to come.