Mission Update from One More Child
This past month, two historic hurricanes wreaked havoc across thousands of communities, causing immense damage, heartbreaking loss, and heightened struggles. Many people are still reeling from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and grappling with how these storms will forever impact their lives.
To all those struggling in the wake of these storms, One More Child is here to provide relief and hope in this troubling time.
Understanding the severe and widespread impact of these two hurricanes, One More Child mobilized our teams to provide quick and efficient relief for those in need.
Through our hurricane relief efforts, One More Child has provided 5 million meals, 4 million pounds of food and water, and 303,000 diapers.
5,000,000
meals
4,000,000
pounds of food and water
303,000
diapers
Because of our extensive support network and strategic partnership, One More Child is uniquely equipped to reach those with urgent needs. In the weeks and months to come, we will continue serving vulnerable children and families affected by these storms, providing critical resources and spiritual encouragement.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.” Isaiah 43:2a (NIV)
Amid the pain and suffering brought with these storms, God is still present and working. In prayer and devotion, the leadership and staff of One More Child came together and shared stories where they witnessed God at work throughout these catastrophic events.
Here is a glimpse into stories of hope during hurricane season, with Christ as our firm foundation:
Refuge in the Middle of a Storm
The night Hurricane Helene made landfall as a devastating Category 4 hurricane, a member of our Foster Care team received a call about a 6-month-old baby named Henry* who needed a foster home placement. Given the imminent danger of the storm, our Foster Care team knew they had to work quickly to get Henry into a safe home that night.
Our staff reached out to a new foster family who had only been licensed for a few days, asking if they could take in baby Henry. The family immediately responded “yes”—no questions asked.
Our Foster Care team members collaborated quickly and carefully to get Henry to the new foster family and provide necessary supplies, including diapers. Thanks to our gracious and willing foster family and our incredible Foster Care team, this baby boy found refuge with a safe, loving family in the middle of a storm.
*Name changed for privacy.
An Answered Prayer and Valuable Reminder
Following the impact of the hurricanes, One More Child held many distribution events to provide essential supplies to those in need, and this included an event at our headquarters in Lakeland, Florida.
One More Child staff, volunteers, and community partners came together to provide relief to children and families impacted by Hurricane Milton, distributing non-perishable food, water, diapers and wipes, and more. At this event alone, we provided 50,000 meals, distributed 20,000 diapers, and served approximately 2,000 individuals in the Lakeland community.
As hundreds of cars came through to receive the goods, our team took time to pray and connect with as many families as possible. This included providing some families with gift cards for gas, gifted by Nick and Moe’s. When we presented this gift card to one woman, she broke down in tears and shared this was an answered prayer.
She didn’t know if she would have enough gas to get to the distribution event and back home, so she prayed to God that morning and asked Him to help her.
As we seek to meet widespread needs of the vulnerable, moments like these serve as reminders of God’s immeasurable care for each individual person. One More Child takes after the heart of God: to not just see the need, but to see the person made in the image of God, worthy of love.
What God Can Do with Our “Yes”
Many communities faced dire situations following the storms, leading them to rely on others for help. Bradenton was one of these areas, as they dealt with strong impacts from both hurricanes. Following Hurricane Milton, one of our church partners, West Bradenton Baptist, faced tremendous difficulty as they dealt with damage and limited resources.
One More Child’s teams and leadership worked with West Bradenton Baptist to meet their needs and help this church family to the best of our ability. Pastor Sam Rainer, the lead pastor of West Bradenton Baptist and One More Child board member, shared with us that they were at a point of desperation, rationing gas by the half gallon, when help from One More Child arrived.
Pastor Sam Rainer told a story about Philip Whitten, director of major gifts at One More Child, who brought gallons of gas to them, and as a result, likely saved a man’s life. An elderly gentleman who relied on oxygen and lived alone with his special needs son needed lifesaving help in the wake of the storm. However, the church did not have enough gas to get to him—until Philip Whitten arrived. The church reached him just in time to provide the urgent help he needed.
Pastor Sam Rainer shared this testimony with our leadership team, “I pleaded with so many, and no one came, but you did. Thank you.”
Until Pastor Rainer shared this story with us, Philip and the rest of our team were unaware of this impact. At One More Child, we seek to humbly live out the calling God has placed on our lives as individuals and as an organization: to serve the vulnerable. It is a blessing to see how God uses our “yes” to make an incredible, lifesaving, and life-changing impact.
God invites us into His mission to serve the vulnerable—give God your “yes” today.
