Santiago and Ximena used to be just like you.
They had good jobs — both worked as insurance agents in their city in Venezuela. They were comfortably middle class and easily able to care for their growing family. But then disaster struck.
We’ve changed Santiago and Ximena’s names for their own protection. Over the past year, the political and social climates in Venezuela have become incredibly dangerous, and families are still at risk.
When violence, war, natural disasters, or economic turmoil strike a community, families lose everything. Out of nowhere, parents are stripped of their ability to provide for their children
But in 2018, you and other generous donors helped families in need by providing lifesaving aid and relief to 711,980 people in 21 countries.
Supplies like food, clean water, hygiene kits, and medical equipment were shipped to people in crisis in Zimbabwe, Uganda, Venezuela, and other countries around the world.
A total of 5,736,096 meals were provided for families like Santiago and Ximena’s — meals that were often the difference between life and death.
Their family was starving
Before the economic crisis in Venezuela, Santiago and Ximena worried about very little. They looked forward to providing educational opportunities and a healthy, happy future for their two children … until the country’s financial stability plummeted.
By the end of 2018, prices of food and other necessities were doubling every 19 days, making starvation a real and imminent threat — even for parents with good jobs. The average Venezuelan lost 19 pounds. There simply wasn’t enough food … and what food was available was far too expensive for most families.
Santiago, Ximena, and their children were starving. When our partners in Venezuela found the family, the parents had not eaten much of anything for far too long. All they could afford were a few bananas, and they were giving the fruit to their children.
Their lives were falling apart. Their children were starving before their eyes. But thankfully, donors like you were able to help.
You helped send emergency supplies
You and other World Help donors provided emergency food, medical aid, and more to starving families in Venezuela. The supplies you sent helped save many lives — including those of Santiago, Ximena, and their children.
Santiago and Ximena were overjoyed and incredibly grateful, with huge smiles on their faces, as they received bread, rice, flour, and other essentials to feed their family. Finally, they had food to eat and hope for the coming days.
“And you want to know something funny?” our partner said. “When we gave them the food, they actually gave some of it to their neighbors.”
When you step in and help rescue people in crisis, you inspire them to do the same and help those around them. It begins a ripple effect of kindness that helps spread the love of Jesus.
Thank you for your compassion and generosity to help people struggling to survive. To read more about how you have made an impact with your giving, check out our 2018 Annual Report.
You can also continue making a difference by giving an additional gift today. Right now, families around the world are still in crisis — just like Santiago and Ximena once were. They need emergency food, medical aid, clean water, and much more.
Click below to learn how you can help rescue another person in dire need.