Every week, the leadership and staff of One More Child come together for prayer and devotion to celebrate the encouraging progress in our ongoing mission to serve vulnerable children and struggling families, all for the glory of God.
This Thanksgiving week, we are focusing on celebrating all the ways God is working to feed hungry children through our ministry.
Here is a glimpse into the recent good news, activities, and accomplishments at One More Child:
Being the Bridge
One More Child’s Compassion Ministries feed hungry children by connecting community partners, churches, and schools to food and tangible resources from our Compassion Centers.
At our Compassion Centers, we gather donations and resources from corporate, nonprofit, and individual partners, then leverage our community connections to ensure food and essential goods reach those who need them most. And when you visit one of our Compassion Centers, don’t blink! Because most of the food and resources you see will be gone within a few days, distributed back into the community.
One of our church partners recently shared a story with us about a new community member they were able to serve—Grandma Jo.* Despite her best efforts to care for herself and her grandkids, this family had gone without food, and one night, all Grandma Jo could do was pray they would find something to eat. Then she saw a sign for a food distribution at Mt. Sinai Holiness Church, one of our Compassion Ministries partners.
She felt compelled to stop, and not only was she blessed with food, but also other resources to support her family. Now, Grandma Jo’s grandchildren will no longer go hungry.
The church shared with our team, “Thank you for being the bridge in the gap when needed. Everything helps.”
*Name changed for privacy.
Better than the Ice Cream Truck
At the Azinger Compassion Center in Bradenton, our warehouse team and two special volunteers developed a unique, fun, and meaningful way to serve local foster families. The Compassion Center is located near eight foster family homes that, together, can care for up to 80 children. Two One More Child volunteers, who have served for four years, observed both the ongoing need foster families have for consistent food and the challenges they often face in obtaining it.
So, last month our volunteers decided to bring the food to them! Loading up a golf cart, they would go house by house, delivering these much-needed items to each foster family.
However, they outgrew the golf cart very quickly. Channeling their best food delivery drivers, these volunteers then switched to an SUV, loading it up with food. At first, the team walked door to door to deliver the food, but before long, the children started running out to the car when it came by, as though it were the ice cream truck!
The team has quickly learned the families’ preferences and favorite items, allowing them to customize each delivery to best serve these foster parents and children.
It is such a joy to creatively serve children in need and parents who sacrifice so much to provide. We are so grateful for our volunteers who, not only make our ministry possible, but also make our ministry fun!
Feeding One More in Peru
Our ministry serves hungry children nationally in 29 states and globally in 19 countries—and Peru is one of our more recent additions. We have been working with our ministry partner in Peru to establish services and support in the area. Our partner primarily serves youth aging out of residential care, offering training for life skills, spiritual development, and help transitioning to adult life.
In collaboration with our ministry partner—and with generous support from West Bradenton Baptist Church—we are excited to announce the launch of our new feeding program in Peru. The feeding program meets both tangible and spiritual needs of vulnerable children in the community. Children who come to the center will receive a nutritious meal rich in protein—something many in this region lack—as well as support, mentoring, and connections to local churches and pastors.
This project will do more than fill empty stomachs—it will fill the lives of vulnerable children with hope, connection, and purpose. We are excited to see the massive impact this new feeding program will have—saving and changing lives of youth in Peru.
