An Open Letter to COVID-19

Dear COVID-19,

You have silenced our streets.
You have separated us from those we love.
You have locked us down, closed our doors.
You have shaken us and you have exhausted us.
And it seems like you’re only getting started.

But know this, you’re never going to win.
We are not defined by our circumstances but by our faith.
We know that family extends beyond our own homes.
And our generosity will never be contained by borders.
We will love like Christ even from behind windows, walls and masks.
We will never stop caring for the marginalized and the vulnerable.
We will not back down.
We will not give up.
Because together, we rise as one.

Sincerely,
Us

What God can do through his Church is more powerful than COVID-19.

And the Church is needed now more than ever. We’ve all felt the effects of COVID-19. Increased isolation and loneliness, separation from loved ones, sickness and death, uncertainty and grief. But the reality for the most critically vulnerable — children and their families living in extreme poverty — is that COVID-19 could be devastating.

Families that struggled to live on small daily wages now struggle to live on nothing. In many communities, food is scarce, and what little can be found has soared in price. Homes with no running water make proper hygiene nearly impossible. Crowded slums where diseases already spread quickly now offer little chance for social distancing.

That’s why it’s so crucial that the Church around the world come together, answering God’s call to care for the least of these. We must rise as one to provide immediate aid to the most vulnerable among us.

How can I help?

A gift to Compassion’s Disaster Relief fund will provide urgent aid, including:

• Food packages of essentials like rice, eggs, meat, milk, corn and dry goods.
• Critical hygiene supplies like hand sanitizer and protective masks, and information on how to prevent infection.
• Rent assistance to the families most at risk of losing their homes due to inability to work.

Your gifts will empower local churches around the world to be the hands and feet of Christ to those who are suffering. Because of you, staff and volunteers who know the immediate needs of each child they serve will connect with families to provide lifesaving supplies. Families who have felt alone and isolated will feel known and loved because you gave.

Together, we can show families in poverty that they are loved by God.

That COVID-19 will not win. That we, the Church, can rise as one.

Thank you for your continued support, especially during this difficult time. Please know that prayers are being lifted up for you by children, staff and pastors around the world. We are truly in this together.