LAKELAND, Fla., Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In response to the widespread destruction caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, One More Child mobilized its relief operations and provided critical items to storm victims in Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Working alongside multiple churches and community partners, One More Child created distribution events across three states to provide water, food, diapers, wipes, tarps, hygiene items and other essential supplies to people in need.
“The extent of the devastation caused by these historic back-to-back hurricanes is hard to fathom,” said Dr. Jerry Haag, One More Child president and CEO. “Seeing children and families in distress is utterly heartbreaking, and it compels us to act. We’re in a unique position to get resources directly into the hands of those who desperately need them. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
One More Child provided 105 semitrucks of supplies totaling 5 million meals to communities hardest hit by the hurricanes.
“Our mission is to serve vulnerable children and struggling families,” said Stephen Robert, One More Child chief operating officer. “When those populations are hit with catastrophic hurricanes or any other disaster, they become even more vulnerable.”
“In addition to water and food, there was a critical need for diapers and wipes. With our focus on helping children and single moms, we made it a priority to give out as many packs of diapers as we could collect,” said Robert. “Diapers are expensive, and the costs add up quickly. We wanted to help alleviate that financial burden which so many families are experiencing right now.”
A total of 303,000 diapers were collected and distributed. This included a special donation by a church from Heber Springs, Arkansas, where several members drove 15 hours to Florida to deliver a truckload of diapers, wipes, formula, food and other supplies. [
“We are so grateful for the donors, churches, businesses and corporate partners who stepped up in big way,” said Haag. “Together, we’ve been able give hope to those who are hurting by helping in tangible ways.”
One More Child’s global headquarters in Lakeland and other locations in Florida sustained damage and lost power after taking a direct hit from Milton. Prior to the storm making landfall, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis provided a Starlink system which provided the internet capabilities necessary to maintain operations and serve those in need.
“One More Child was a tremendous help to our community, said Sam Rainer, lead pastor at West Bradenton Baptist Church. “They not only provided the resources and help we needed, they also offered words of kindness and encouragement to people who were hurting.”
About One More Child:
One More Child operates in 26 states and 19 countries around the world, meeting the needs of foster children, hungry children, single moms, struggling families, and sex-trafficked children and teens. In 2023, One More Child provided direct services to 250,259 children and individuals while impacting an additional 143,334 individuals through advocacy, trainings, awareness and volunteering. One More Child provided more than 19 million meals nationally and globally. For more information visit www.onemorechild.org.
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