Hurricane Melissa carved a path of destruction across the Caribbean, leaving fatalities, widespread flooding, and significant damage in its wake on October 30, 2025. The storm struck southwestern Jamaica on October 28, 2025, with winds exceeding 185 mph, causing catastrophic flooding and destroying historic sites, including the 1700s Black River Anglican Church.

Authorities have declared Jamaica a disaster area as search-and-rescue and clean-up efforts are underway. Power outages and communication disruptions persist across the island nation.

Hurricane Melissa: Facts, FAQs, and how to help

• Fast Facts: Hurricane Melissa
• What’s the latest update on Hurricane Melissa?
• What’s the impact of Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean?
• How many people have been affected by Hurricane Melissa?
• How is World Vision helping communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa?
• What’s the impact of Hurricane Melissa on the people of Haiti?
• How can I help people affected by Hurricane Melissa and other disasters?

Fast Facts: Hurricane Melissa

• Formed on October 21, 2025, as the 13th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.
• Intensified into a Category 5 hurricane on October 27, 2025.
• Reached maximum sustained winds at 185 mph, with higher gusts, according to NOAA.
• Made landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025, causing catastrophic winds, torrential rains, and flooding.
• The storm affected millions across the Caribbean, including Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.
• Torrential rain lashed Haiti, the Caribbean’s most populous nation, causing floods and landslides.
• Resulted in nearly 30 deaths across the region: Haiti (25 deaths, including 10 children), Jamaica (4 deaths), and the Dominican Republic (1 death). Many others are missing.
• Endangered 1.6 million children in Jamaica, Haiti, and the surrounding islands.
• Caused widespread displacement, infrastructure damage, and agricultural loss across the Caribbean.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

What’s the latest update on Hurricane Melissa?

As of October 30, 2025, Hurricane Melissa had weakened to a Category 1 storm.

Melissa is currently 430 miles west-southwest of Bermuda, moving northeast at 30 mph. After passing Bermuda, the storm is expected to weaken further as it heads toward the Canadian Maritimes. By Saturday, Melissa is expected to become a strong post-tropical storm near Newfoundland.

At its peak, Melissa was a Category 5 hurricane, causing catastrophic damage across Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica.

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What’s the impact of Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean?

Hurricane Melissa has unleashed powerful winds, torrential rainfall, and landslides across the Caribbean. As of October 30, 2025, the latest updates on the storm’s impact by countries are as follows:

Cuba

• Authorities had evacuated more than 700,00 people across eastern Cuba ahead of the storm’s landfall.
• In the province of Santiago alone, at least 241 communities remained isolated and without communications, affecting up to 140,000 residents.

Dominican Republic

• Heavy rains and widespread flooding triggered landslides, damaging homes and displacing hundreds of  900 people. Over 1.1 million people are without access to safe drinking water.

Haiti

• At least 25 people, including 10 children, have died in Haiti, and 12 are missing. Damage reports indicate that over 1,000 homes have been flooded, damaged, or destroyed, and nearly 12,000 people have moved into emergency shelters.

Jamaica

• Up to 1.5 million people could be impacted by the storm. Widespread power outages have left at least 72% of the island without electricity, and many areas are reporting catastrophic infrastructure damage.
• AccuWeather estimates that Melissa could cause $22 billion in damages and economic loss, with rebuilding potentially taking a decade or more.

Across the region, children are among the most vulnerable, facing disrupted schooling, unsafe shelter, and rising risks of malnutrition and exploitation.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How is World Vision helping communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa?

In Haiti, we already have a strong presence and are taking steps in our disaster relief efforts there:

• Pre-positioned emergency supplies: We are supporting at least 4,000 households with food, clean water, hygiene kits, and shelter materials. Local networks shared alerts and preparedness tips, helping residents brace for the storm’s impact.

In Jamaica, where World Vision doesn’t operate, we are preparing hurricane disaster relief through our partnerships:

• Pre-positioned emergency aid supplies: All six World Vision warehouses have essential supplies ready to deploy, with initial loads coming from Pittsburgh and Dallas to expedite delivery. As of October 30, 2025, two shipping containers of emergency response supplies from our Pittsburgh warehouse have been dispatched to Miami. Once distribution hubs in Jamaica are identified by the National Baptist Convention (NBC), World Vision will work to transport the containers to a port in Jamaica and onward to NBC church distribution sites.  
• Shipping containers of aid: Immediate relief supplies from our Pittsburgh warehouse to Miami, for onward transport to Jamaica. Supplies include:
  • Flood buckets
  • Generators
  • Hygiene kits
  • Tarps
  • Additional emergency items

Through these efforts, World Vision is working to ensure that children and families in both Haiti and Jamaica can receive urgent assistance in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.

“With communications down and so many communities cut off, our biggest challenge is getting aid to those who need it most,” said Mike Bassett, World Vision’s national director of domestic humanitarian and emergency affairs. “We’re working with partners to deliver supplies and reach families in the hardest-hit areas.”

BACK TO QUESTIONS

What’s the impact of Hurricane Melissa on the people of Haiti?

At least 25 people have died across Haiti, and 13 are missing. Damage reports indicate that at least 450 homes have been flooded, damaged, or destroyed.

“Children and families in Haiti are facing compounding crises,” said Lesly Michaud, national program director in Haiti. “We are committed to standing with communities through this storm and beyond, ensuring they receive the support they need to recover and rebuild.”

Prior to the storm, Haiti was already facing significant challenges. One of the world’s most vulnerable countries, Haiti’s nearly 5 million people — half of them children — are facing severe hunger. World Vision warns that Hurricane Melissa could further devastate food systems and set back recovery efforts amid ongoing violence and displacement.

“Food insecurity has been plaguing Haiti for the past year or so, where more than half of the population is food insecure,” said Guy F. Vital-Herne, communications manager for World Vision in Haiti. “The impact that we are seeing so far of Hurricane Melissa is putting more pressure now on some populations, with many crops being destroyed right now.”

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How can I help people affected by Hurricane Melissa and other disasters?

• Pray: Join us in praying for all those impacted by Hurricane Melissa and other disasters around the world.
• Give: Your gift will help deliver urgent aid to children and families impacted by this hurricane and other disasters around the world.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

The post Hurricane Melissa: Facts, FAQs, and how to help appeared first on World Vision.

One of the beautiful things about Christmas is how differently it’s celebrated by communities around the world. The food we make, the songs we sing, the decorations we hang – all are unique to our country and culture. Our Christmas crafts are different, too.

In Armenia, one family makes Christmas ornaments from yarn and balloons. In the Philippines, families construct colorful stars called parols and hang them around their homes. In the Dominican Republic, crafters transform felt paper into stunning expressions of flores de Pascua, or poinsettias.

Learn how to make these (and more) DIY Christmas crafts from around the world, below!

Philippines: Christmas parol

Supplies

• Bamboo craft sticks, called pllieay, available on Amazon
• Scissors
• String
• Rubber bands (or extra string)
• Hot glue gun
• Regular craft glue
• Tissue paper or clear plastic sheets

Instructions

1. Prepare your sticks. For one star, you will need 10 long pllieay sticks (about 15 inches long), and five shorter sticks, about 2.5 inches long. You can make these by cutting up one of the longer sticks.
2. Lay five long sticks in the shape of a five-pronged star. The sticks will overlap in the middle, creating a pentagon.
3. Using string or rubber bands, tie each of the five tips of the star so that the sticks stay in place.
4. Using a hot glue gun, glue the five corners of the inner pentagon where the sticks overlap.
5. Repeat steps 2–4 to create a second matching star.
6. Apply a blob of hot glue to each of the five tips of the pentagon on one of the stars. Take the five smaller sticks and stand them up in the blobs of glue, so that you have five pillars coming up from the points of the pentagon.
7. Add a blob of hot glue to each of the five points of the pentagon on the second star.
8. Take the second star and slowly lower it onto the five vertical sticks adhered to the first star, so that the two stars are parallel to one another and connected by the five vertical sticks in the middle.
9. Once the glue has dried and the two stars feel securely attached to the 5 middle sticks, gently bend the tips of the two stars toward each other. The bamboo should have a little give to it. Tie the five tips of the top star to the five tips of the bottom star using string or rubber bands.
10. Using craft glue, cover your star with colorful tissue paper or clear plastic. Trim excess as needed.
11. Tie a string to one of the tips to hang up the star.

Armenia: Yarn ball ornaments

Supplies

• Cotton yarn
• Small balloons
• Liquid glue
• Water
• Glitter
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Pin
• Disposable bowl
• Gloves (unless you don’t mind sticky fingers)
• Parchment paper

Instructions

1. Blow up a balloon to about a 5-inch round ball.
2. In a disposable bowl, add one spoonful of glue per ornament, and thin the glue slightly with water.
3. Take a bundle of yarn and dip it into the glue, soaking it all over.
4. Wrap the wet yarn all around the balloon, tucking the tip of the yarn under once you’ve reached the end.
5. While the yarn is still wet, sprinkle glitter onto parchment paper and roll the ornament in it to add sparkle.
6. Set aside to dry for a couple of hours.
7. Once dry, pop the balloon with a pin and gently pull it out between the hard yarn threads, using tweezers if needed.
8. Tie a ribbon loop to a thread of the ornament to hang it on a tree.

India: Quilled Christmas cards

Supplies

• Colorful sheets of craft paper
• Liquid glue from a bottle with a pointed tip
• Scissors
• Quilling needle (optional, but helpful)

Instructions

1. Cut various colors of paper into strips, 10 to 12 inches long and ¼ inch wide.
2. Roll the strips of paper into tight coils, until they look like miniature rolls of toilet paper.
3. Allow the coils to loosen so that you can see space between the coils of paper. They do this automatically the moment you set them down. They will not uncoil fully.
4. Apply a very small dot of glue to the end of the strip of paper and press it to the side of the coil. Do this to each coil you make.
5. Either leave the coils as circles or create different shapes by pinching the sides. Pinching one side of the coil creates a teardrop shape. Pinching two opposite sides of a coil creates a leaf or petal shape. Pinching three or four sides of the coil creates diamonds, squares, or stars.
6. Select a sheet of paper to use as a card. Fold and cut it to the size of your choosing.
7. Decorate the card by gluing the colorful coils of paper to it. Get creative with your layout. Use long strips of paper and leaf-shaped coils to make a vine (see photo), arrange petals into a poinsettia, or lay a bunch of round coils down in a circle to create a Christmas wreath.

Cambodia: Pop-up Christmas tree cards

Supplies

• Colored construction paper: green, yellow, and brown 
• Colorful cardstock paper 
• Scissors 
• Glue 
• Stencils or templates to trace for Christmas trees, stars, and tree trunks 
• Decorations of your choosing (glitter, stickers, paint, etc.)

Instructions

1. Using stencils or templates, trace six identical Christmas trees, six stars, and six tree trunks on the green, yellow, and brown construction paper. Cut out each shape.
2. On a new piece of construction paper, lay out a tree, star, and trunk to form the shape of a Christmas tree. Trace around the three pieces, leaving a quarter-inch margin all around (refer to the light-yellow paper behind the pop-up tree in the photo). Cut out the Christmas tree shape and set it aside.
3. Cut a piece of cardstock paper into a square, large enough that it will be bigger than the pop-out Christmas tree. Since this will determine the size of your card, you can make it larger than pictured if you want more room to write a note around it.
4. Carefully fold the trees, stars, trunks, cardstock paper, and Christmas tree shape from step 2 in half vertically.
5. Take a folded tree and apply glue to one side. Take a second folded tree and lay it on top of the glue, carefully lining it up with the other tree. Repeat this step with each tree until all six are glued together. Set aside to dry.
6. Repeat step 5 with the stars and trunks.
7. Take the folded Christmas tree–shaped paper from step 2 and open it up. Apply glue to the back of the pop-up stars, trees, and trunks, and affix them to the seam of this paper, leaving a quarter-inch margin all around.
8. Apply glue to the back of the Christmas tree–shaped paper and affix it to the seam of the cardstock paper.
9. Once the glue has dried, carefully open your pop-up Christmas tree card. Add decorations and a note.  

Dominican Republic: Flor de Pascua Christmas flowers

Supplies

• Two pieces of white paper to cut out petal stencils  
• 8.5 x 11-inch sheets of felt (red or white) 
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Plastic pearls (red for white flowers or gold/silver/white for red flowers) 
• Sewing pins 

Instructions

1. On a sheet of paper, draw a five-petal flower to create a stencil for the base of the flower. Also draw a single, separate petal shape, the same size as the five petals on the base.
2. Cut the shapes out.
3. Pin the paper flower base to a piece of felt and cut around the stencil.
4. Pin the petal to the felt and cut around the stencil. Repeat four more times until you have five petals.
5. Cut off one tip on each of the petals, creating a straight-edge base.
6. Put a drop of hot glue on the base of the petals. Fold and pinch the base of each petal until it is fixed.
7. Place all five petals on the felt flower base, with each of the pinched ends meeting in the middle, facing up. (The top petals should be positioned in between the petals on the bottom flower, so the points are evenly distributed.) Affix them to the base with hot glue.
8. Apply a drop of glue at the center where the petals meet, and stick a few pearls to the glue.

Lesotho: Paving the way for Jesus

As Christmas approaches, Christian families in rural areas of Lesotho clean and decorate their homes in honor of their Savior’s birth. Twelve-year-old Lieakae and her grandmother decorate mud outside the entrance of their house. It will dry into a beautiful new path to welcome Jesus into their hearts and home on Christmas day.

Lieakae’s grandmother uses soil, cow dung, and water to create this pathway. For a fun alternative, try using air-dry modeling clay to create decorative tiles or Christmas ornaments.

Supplies

• Air-dry modeling clay
• Decorating tools (we recommend toothpicks and plastic silverware if you don’t have pottery tools)
• Optional: cookie cutters, ribbon

Instructions

1. Roll out a ball of clay on wax paper until it is about a half-inch thick.
2. Cut off the edges to make a 6-by-6-inch square tile or could use cookie cutters to create Christmas ornaments. If you’re making ornaments, remember to poke a hole at the top for a ribbon.
3. Using the decorating tools of your choice, apply your design.
4. Set your creation in a safe place to dry for about 24 hours.
5. If you made an ornament, thread your ribbon through the hole at the top and tie a loop so you can hang it.

World Vision staff members Jim Wungramyao Kasom in India, Gayane Galstyan in Armenia, Claudia Martinez Perez in the Dominican Republic, Chanthany Chea in Cambodia, ‘Makopano Semakale in Lesotho, and Lanelyn Carillo in the Philippines contributed to this article.

The post How’d they do that: DIY Christmas crafts from around the world appeared first on World Vision.

After a robust 26-year career in information technology, Sherrie Woodring was exhausted from the demands of corporate America. Then her mother, Leila, suffered a severe stroke and required full-time care. So Leila moved in with Sherrie.

Though the new journey was radically different than what Sherrie had accomplished professionally, the two discovered an unexpected satisfaction in their new life together. On the most difficult days, Sherrie’s mother would ask what so many who suffer ask: “Why me?” Gently, humbly, Sherrie would answer, “There’s a purpose that needs to be fulfilled. We’ll have to see.”

Sherrie had been sponsoring children through World Vision: first one, then three, then six. The faithful pen pal began to notice how her mother connected with the children, especially through the photos with their mothers, and would ask questions. Seeing these mothers struggle to provide for their children broke Leila’s heart.

Sherrie, the consummate businesswoman, knew they could do more. She donated to help them start businesses. The women received several letters a week from these precious families. Sherrie explains, “We walked the journey with them, and they walked the journey with my mom’s illness. They were attached, through letters.”

When the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting broke the world’s heart at the end of 2012, Sherrie and her mother increased their commitment to sponsor 26 children, representing the victims of the shooting. In the wake of so many children’s lives being cut short, Sherrie wanted to help ensure that children around the world had the chance to live.

Then Sherrie’s world shifted seismically once again when her mother passed in 2014. She picked up the phone to call World Vision, interested in identifying a program that could empower families to start small businesses. After a Vision Trip to Tanzania and the Dominican Republic, where she met many families of farmers, Sherrie joined the National Leadership Council and began offering her time and talents to World Vision’s economic empowerment programs.

Her passion is to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable rural households through a biblically empowered worldview message; access to improved agricultural technology, knowledge, and fair markets; and access to small loans to finance diverse forms of resilient, sustainable income. All of this is for the direct benefit of children’s well-being. Sherrie’s most recent passion is for World Vision’s Recovery Lending for Resilience program, which provides poor families with recovery business loans to bounce back from economic challenges caused by shocks like COVID-19.

That’s the purpose Sherrie and her mother are now fulfilling.

The post Finding a purpose to fulfill appeared first on World Vision.

Hurricane Irma struck Florida as a Category 4 storm the morning of September 10, 2017. It tore off roofs, flooded coastal cities, and left more than 6.8 million people without power. By September 11, Irma had weakened significantly to a tropical storm as it moved north toward Georgia and Alabama. Later that day, it weakened further to a tropical depression. Irma was the fifth-costliest hurricane to hit the mainland United States, causing an estimated $50 billion in damage, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Irma: Facts, FAQs, and how to help 

Explore Hurricane Irma facts and frequently asked questions, and learn how you can help disaster survivors in the U.S.

• Fast facts: Hurricane Irma
• How many people died in Hurricane Irma?
• How did Hurricane Irma develop?
• How much damage did Hurricane Irma cause?
• Where did Hurricane Irma hit?
• Timeline of Hurricane Irma’s path
• When did Hurricane Irma hit Florida?
• How much damage did Hurricane Irma cause?
• How has World Vision responded?
• How can I help disaster survivors?

Fast facts: Hurricane Irma

• Irma made landfall over the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane the morning of Sept. 10, 2017.
• At its peak, Hurricane Irma was a Category 5 with wind speeds of 177 mph.
• 6 million Florida residents evacuated coastal areas.
• 129 direct and indirect deaths were caused by Hurricane Irma.
• It is the fifth-costliest hurricane to hit the mainland United States.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How many people died in Hurricane Irma?

Hurricane Irma is directly responsible for 47 deaths due to its strong winds, heavy rains, and high surf across the Caribbean Islands and the southeastern United States. The majority of the casualties were in the Caribbean Islands, where Irma’s winds were the strongest, according to the National Hurricane Center. Irma caused 10 deaths in the United States — seven in Florida, two in Georgia, and one in South Carolina. Another 82 deaths are also indirectly attributed to Hurricane Irma, 77 of which were in Florida. Hundreds more were injured before, during, or after the hurricane.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How did Hurricane Irma develop?

Hurricane Irma began on Aug. 30 , 2017, near the Cape Verde Islands. It was the ninth named storm and fourth hurricane of the 2017 storm season.

Irma developed from a tropical wave that developed off the West African coast two days earlier. It rapidly strengthened into a Category 2 storm within 24 hours. Irma’s intensity fluctuated in the days to follow, and on Sept. 4 became a Category 4 hurricane.

A day later on Sept. 5, it grew to Category 5 strength with sustained winds above 157 mph. Irma wrought catastrophe in Barbuda and parts of the U.S. and the British Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti each experienced flooding and heavy damage in some areas, but the storm left much less destruction than expected.

Hurricane Irma was downgraded to a Category 4 on Sept. 8 but maintained winds around 150 mph. Irma made landfall over mainland Florida early Sept. 10 as a Category 4 hurricane. From there, it weakened significantly to a tropical storm on September  11 as it powered north toward Georgia and Alabama. At 11 p.m. later that day, it weakened further to a tropical depression, and by Sept. 13, it had dissipated over western Tennessee.

Hurricane Jose was on Irma’s tail but weakened to a Category 1 storm before stalling out at sea.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How much damage did Hurricane Irma cause?

Irma is the fifth-costliest hurricane to hit the mainland United States and caused an estimated $50 billion in damage, according to the National Hurricane Center. At one point, Hurricane Irma was the strongest hurricane the National Hurricane Center has ever recorded in the Atlantic outside of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It was moving as a Category 5 storm, which means it had sustained wind speeds greater than 157 mph. Category 5 storms cause catastrophic damage when they make landfall. Irma hit the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane and then the mainland as a Category 3.

Hurricane Matthew hit the southern part of Haiti as a Category 4 storm on Oct. 4, 2016, and the country still hasn’t fully recovered from that devastating storm. Projections had Irma hitting Haiti hard, but the country was spared from severe devastation.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Where did Hurricane Irma hit?

The storm tracked northwest through the Caribbean, along Florida’s west coast, and into Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina, eventually dissipating over Tennessee.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Timeline of Hurricane Irma’s path

Wednesday, Sept. 6:

• Hit Antigua and Barbuda just before 2 a.m. Half of the 100,000 residents of Antigua and Barbuda had their homes destroyed or heavily damaged.
• Hit St. Martin, Anguilla, St. Kitts, and Nevis around 8 a.m.
• Hit the British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico at about 2 p.m. The governor of Puerto Rico said electricity was restored to 144,000 homes in the days following.

Thursday, Sept. 7:

• Dominican Republic: The storm sustained its Category 5 strength, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph, but the Dominican Republic avoided a direct hit as it skirted just off its northern coast around 11 a.m. local time.
• Haiti: Haiti was hit but didn’t experience nearly as much impact as expected.
• Turks and Caicos: Irma hit late Thursday, and extensive damage is being reported.

Friday, Sept. 8:

• Cuba and the Bahamas: Irma hit as a Category 5 around noon Eastern time.

Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 9 and 10:

• Hurricane Irma pummeled the Florida Keys late Saturday into Sunday as a Category 4 and hit the Florida mainland as a Category 3 storm around 1 p.m. Eastern time Sunday.

Monday, Sept. 11:

• Irma weakened significantly to a tropical storm as it powered north toward Georgia and Alabama.
• The National Hurricane Center says Florida’s coast saw storm surges between 1 and 6 feet, according to the Weather Channel.
• About 11 p.m., Irma weakened further to a tropical depression.

Tuesday, Sept. 12:

• Irma traveled northwest through Georgia and South Carolina on its way to Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
• As many as 15 million people in Florida are without power, and restoring it could take weeks.

Wednesday, Sept. 13:

• Irma dissipated over western Tennessee.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

When did Hurricane Irma hit Florida?

Hurricane Irma made landfall over the southern Florida mainland around 1 p.m. local time Sunday, Sept. 10 as a Category 3 storm, packing winds of more than 110 miles per hour. It roared its way north, overwhelming the entire state with heavy rains and fierce winds.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How much damage did Hurricane Irma cause?

The wind and water damage in the United States caused by Hurricane Irma totaled $50.0 billion, according to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. This makes Irma the fifth-costliest hurricane to affect the United States, behind Katrina (2005), Harvey (2017), Maria (2017) and Sandy (2012).

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How has World Vision responded?

In the immediate aftermath, World Vision sent semitrucks full of relief supplies to several church partners in Immokalee, Fort Myers, and the Florida Keys. We were able to reach more than 18,000 people in some of the hardest-hit areas with food, water, hygiene supplies, and other items. About 400 affected families also received $500 gift cards so they could purchase items they needed most, including materials to repair their homes.

Thanks to generous donors and corporate partners, we could keep our warehouses around the country well-stocked to quickly respond to hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Maria simultaneously. Our team was also able to deliver generators to local partners, including churches that needed power to serve hot meals to storm survivors. While the relief phase has moved toward rebuilding, we have committed to providing regular supplies shipments to a church partner in Immokalee to ensure their community is supported through the difficult recovery.

World Vision staff in Haiti and the Dominican Republic also responded to damage in their countries, although they avoided the more severe effects felt in other parts of the Caribbean.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How can I help disaster survivors?

• Give: Help us continue the flow of emergency supplies to disasters in the U.S. like Hurricane Irma by donating to World Vision’s disaster relief fund.
• Pray: Join us in praying for World Vision staff and responders as they help families recover and rebuild. Almighty Father, we ask for Your mercy on those hit hard by Hurricane Irma. Amid their struggle to recover, give them patience, peace, and hope that their lives and livelihoods will improve.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

The post 2017 Hurricane Irma: Facts, FAQs, and how to help appeared first on World Vision.

Puerto Rico is devastated and struggling to recover after Hurricane Maria pummeled the island territory Sept. 20, 2017, as a Category 4 storm. As of April 4 — almost seven months since the storm hit — about 96% of residents on the island have had power restored, reports the U.S. Department of Energy. Still, roughly 62,000 people remain without power.

While the storm’s official death toll tallied 64 people, a new Harvard study published May 29 estimates that Maria and its aftermath is responsible for more than 4,600 deaths in Puerto Rico.

Between October 2017 and April 2018, World Vision reached 116,003 Puerto Ricans with critical food and relief items, cash assistance, disaster preparedness training, and child protection programs.

When disaster strikes, World Vision is there. Help us respond to disasters like Hurricane Maria.

Donate Now

FAQs: What you need to know about Hurricane Maria

Explore frequently asked questions about Hurricane Maria, and learn how you can help families impacted by hurricanes:

• How did Hurricane Maria develop?
• Did Hurricane Maria hit the U.S.?
• How many people died after Hurricane Maria?
• How much damage did Hurricane Maria cause?
• How did World Vision respond to Hurricane Maria?
• How many people has World Vision helped after Hurricane Maria?
• How can I help Hurricane Maria survivors?

How did Hurricane Maria develop?

Less than two weeks after Hurricane Irma and a month after Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Maria hit numerous islands in the Caribbean.

It became a Category 3 storm Sept. 18 after doubling in strength in just 24 hours. Then it maintained its rapid growth, becoming a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 175 mph Sept. 19 after making its way through the Leeward Islands.

It smashed into the Caribbean island of Dominica, causing what Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit called “mind-boggling” devastation in a region already devastated by Hurricane Irma. Maria was the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in Dominica. “We have lost everything that money can buy, and that is a fact,” Prime Minister Skerrit said.

The French island of Martinique escaped Hurricane Maria largely unscathed, while the French island of Guadeloupe experienced widespread power outages.

Maria then directly hit Puerto Rico as a Category 4 with 155-mph winds, making it the third-strongest storm to make landfall in the U.S. It was even stronger than Hurricane Irma when it roared into the Florida Keys Sept. 10.

Maria — the strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in more than 80 years — destroyed homes, roads, and bridges; knocked out power across the entire island; and triggered heavy flooding. Residents have lived through food and water shortages, water-related disease outbreaks, generators running out of fuel, hospitals and schools closed due to extensive damage, and in the immediate aftermath, lack of access to the banking system.

Maria also hit the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Turks and Caicos, causing widespread flooding.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Did Hurricane Maria hit the U.S.?

The U.S. mainland was spared the wrath of Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Jose, which followed a similar path before fizzling out in the open ocean.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How many people died after Hurricane Maria?

Hurricane Maria left 64 people dead in Puerto Rico, officially, but it could be more than 4,600 due to complications in the post-storm recovery, according to a new Harvard University study. There were additional storm-related fatalities on the island of Dominica.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How much damage did Hurricane Maria cause?

Puerto Rican authorities have requested $94 billion to cover damages from Hurricane Maria. Congress approved $5 billion in the fall of 2017 as part of an overall federal aid package of more than $36 billion allotted for hurricanes Maria, Harvey, and Irma.

The island’s entire population of 3.4 million people has been affected by Hurricane Maria.

“Months and months and months and months are going to pass before we can recover from this,” said Felix Delgado, mayor of the northern coastal city of Catano. Currently, Puerto Ricans lack sustainable sources of food, power, and income. Many residents have fled their precarious circumstances altogether to settle in mainland U.S. states. Hospitals and other public buildings also remain badly damaged. The two main elements of Puerto Rico’s economy, agriculture and tourism, have been devastated by the storm.

Maria also caused widespread flooding in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How did World Vision respond to Hurricane Maria?

World Vision initiated its response in Puerto Rico supported by a global rapid response team. Due to the scale of the need in Puerto Rico, we deployed two teams to connect with local partners and networks, including Urban Strategies and the National Latino Evangelical Coalition. Working with local partners strengthened our program implementation in Puerto Rico.

On Oct. 2, 2017, the initial response team began conducting assessments and providing local partners with support logistics near San Juan and in a hard-hit area on the central-eastern side of the island to make way for food and supplies distributions and cash programming.

World Vision’s direct response to Hurricane Maria phased out in April 2018. Our staff in Puerto Rico handed off responsibilities to newly trained community leaders, many who have served on the leading edge of our response since the storm hit. World Vision staff in the Dominican Republic also worked to help thousands of families displaced by the storm in the Miches and Santa Cruz El Seibo areas. Most lost everything due to flooding in the wake of Maria. There, we distributed hygiene kits and food kits.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

 

How many people has World Vision helped after Hurricane Maria?

Between October 2017 and April 2018, World Vision reached 116,003 Puerto Ricans with critical food and relief items, cash assistance, disaster preparedness training, and child protection programs. That’s 38,668 households, mostly in and around Utuado, Morovis, Orocovis, and Patillas.

Hurricane survivors received food, water, hygiene kits, tarps, diapers, flood clean-up kits, and other household necessities like candles and solar lamps. We also provided Family-Friendly Spaces, where parents and children receive counseling and care to help them cope with their post-hurricane situation Our efforts to help Puerto Ricans build back better included training 16,476 students, teachers, and church leaders in disaster risk reduction, community resilience, and first responder best practices.

In addition, a World Vision corporate partner donated 150 household water filtration systems and three mobile filtration systems. Each mobile filter can process up to 10 gallons of water per minute, providing clean water for up to 25,000 people each day. Our staff in Puerto Rico are working with the University of Puerto Rico and local governments to provide clean water to the most vulnerable residents.

Agustin Hernandez and his neighbors in Consejo, a small secluded town in the mountains near Utuado, were cut off for 10 days after Maria triggered massive mudslides that covered the road connecting them to the outside world.

“It was hard,” Agustin said Oct. 10 while standing in a small church parking lot watching neighbors collect food, water, and essential supplies from World Vision workers. “People were desperate and didn’t know if help was coming.”

Agustin was among the first to seek help when the bulldozer finally punched through the mountain of mud and debris, making the road passable. Normally a half-hour drive, the journey to Utuado took two hours, as they maneuvered through damaged or landslide-covered roads.

As the relief effort began to unfold in the days and weeks after the storm, some agencies’ attempts to help Consejo failed, Agustin said. For example, when a helicopter dropped a pallet of water in this parking lot, the bottles broke when they hit the ground. With municipal water systems offline, many Puerto Ricans still do not have running water at home.

Soon after the storm, World Vision and Calvary Church in Utuado teamed up to reach families in the most remote, hardest-hit areas of Puerto Rico. They are currently providing water, food, tarps, hygiene supplies, and other essentials to those who need it most — like Agustin and his neighbors in Consejo.

“This is a relief for everybody,” Agustin said. “You guys are the first. The first meals, water, and tarps we got, we got from you guys.”

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How can I help Hurricane Maria survivors?

• Give: Help World Vision respond to emergencies around the world by donating to World Vision’s disaster relief fund.
• Pray: Join us in praying for survivors as they try to rebuild their lives: Almighty Father, we ask for Your mercy on those still suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Protect people. Guide aid workers and government leaders as they work to help those in need.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Learn more about hurricanes — how they form and how to prepare.

Learn More

Heather Klinger and Kristy J. O’Hara of World Vision’s staff in the U.S. contributed to this article.

The post 2017 Hurricane Maria: Facts, FAQs, and how to help appeared first on World Vision.

More than half of the world’s children experience some form of violence every year. World Vision protects children and looks out
 for their well-being by ensuring communities and faith leaders 
are actively working to identify 
and support children in need; advocating for children’s rights; and providing for immediate needs, such as emergency shelter and essential care.

Here are some of the ways we provide child protection around the world.

Mongolia

Children seek help
 through a national hotline

World Vision, working with the National Authority for Children and the country’s major mobile carrier, Mobicom, set up a 24/7 national hotline to report abuse of children. In addition, a national advertising campaign publicizes the phone number, especially to children. The Mongolian government set up a call center, and they soon realized they needed to help the helpers — so they offered stress management training to 108 operators who take the calls and respond to stories of abuse.

Uganda

Alerting communities to thwart child sacrifice

World Vision’s Amber Alert-style program has created
 a profound partnership between leaders of all faiths,
 law enforcement, local government, child-protection committees, and traditional healers. When a child is abducted, communities are ready. Villagers are taught to intervene, and, if that doesn’t work, to sound the alarm. Seventy-three villages are equipped with drums and megaphones. Motorcycles block off exit routes, and people lay logs across pathways to stop the abductors. Faith leaders and traditional healers have also created radio programs that air messages about child sacrifice, good parenting, and taking care of one’s neighbors.

India

Fighting child marriage and child sex-trafficking

Poverty, lack of education, poor gender relations, and dysfunctional families make children in India vulnerable. Here, World Vision sets up community-managed Child-Friendly Learning and Recreation Centers to give children safe places to learn and play. We also form MenCare groups that educate and equip men on the inherent value of women and girls. Transformed attitudes in men are crucial not only to decrease the demand for prostitution but also the supply of children to traffickers. Communities with MenCare groups are seeing reduced instances of child marriage too. In addition, World Vision’s Girl Power groups teach adolescent girls about personal safety.

Bangladesh

Combating child labor

Nearly 1.7 million children 
ages 5 to 17 in Bangladesh 
are engaged in illegal child labor. World Vision focuses on encouraging the withdrawal of children from labor, increasing children’s access to school, improving parents’ incomes, and training older children for jobs that are legal and have decent earning potential. A key intervention is the formation of Child-Friendly Learning and Recreation Centers, which provide
 children at risk of child labor
 or already engaged in labor with childhood education and help in transitioning to public primary school.

South Sudan

Caring for freed 
child soldiers

Protecting children in fragile contexts like war-torn South Sudan is complicated but critical. In February 2018, armed groups released hundreds of children they had recruited to fight or work domestically to support the ongoing conflict. World Vision staff were the child soldiers’ first line of care. Now, staff and qualified social workers are walking the journey to recovery with the children and adolescents to counsel and comfort them, reunite them with their families, if possible, and reintegrate them into society with social and educational opportunities and vocational training.

Guatemala

Reducing violence and unsafe migration

Although violence related to gangs and drugs is a prominent issue in Central America, the primary form of violence in Guatemala is within the family. Nearly one-quarter of the unaccompanied minors who migrate to the U.S. from Guatemala reported that they suffered violence from their guardians and caregivers. World Vision seeks to reduce the number of people who are victims of violence by 20% by 2022. To do this, we form community-based committees to create safe environments for children to live, learn, and play. We also work with faith leaders and local governments to develop migration prevention plans. We support individual children and their families through scholarships, skills training, connecting them with trustworthy community networks, and other social services.

Dominican Republic

Eliminating bullying

Children who are abused physically and verbally at home may carry out the same behaviors at school by hitting their friends, playing violently, and acting out in the classroom. In the Dominican Republic, World Vision trains school staff in programs to eliminate violence against children, including techniques to help teachers lead anti-bullying efforts.

Armenia

Countering prenatal sex-selection trend

Child protection must begin when babies are in the womb. Because of a deeply rooted cultural preference for sons in Armenia, an estimated 1,400 girls are not born every year. For a country as small as Armenia — with a population of about 3 million and just over 40,000 babies born annually — this is a significant number. As a result, Armenia is among the top three countries with the most highly skewed sex ratios at birth. World Vision is striving to create an environment in which girls and boys are valued equally. Our work focuses on ending gender-based violence, including prenatal sex selection and intimate partner violence. In group discussions, youth and couples learn about the prevalence of prenatal sex selection and how to strengthen their family relationships. We partner with the Armenian Church and advocate with the government to adopt policies that support gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence, including prenatal sex selection. We have also launched media campaigns and trained journalists to educate the public on these issues.

The post How World Vision does child protection around the world appeared first on World Vision.

Join us to pray for the Caribbean, specifically World Vision’s work in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Haiti is the least developed country in the Western Hemisphere. The Dominican Republic enjoys a stronger economy, but still, 40% of its residents live in poverty. Both countries struggle with the lingering effects of major natural disasters.

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood. … The LORD gives strength to his people. —Psalm 29:10-11

Pray for disaster recovery efforts in Haiti.

This nation of more than 10 million was on a slow path to recovery after the 2010 earthquake killed about 220,000 people, displaced millions, and destroyed much of Haiti’s already-weak infrastructure. When Hurricane Matthew in 2016, it set the country’s recovery a severe blow. World Vision is helping families affected by these devastating disasters. Pray for continued progress in rebuilding and development.

Lord, in spite of the immense challenges Haiti faces, You have placed a host of resources there to help people recover and rebuild. Guide government leaders, affected families, and development organizations to move forward with a collective vision for a better life.

Pray for improved health for Haitians and Dominicans.

Since the 2010 earthquake, cholera has killed thousands of citizens and infected hundreds of thousands in Haiti. HIV also has been a problem in the Dominican Republic. More than 52,000 people live with the virus, including 5,000 children younger than 5. World Vision operates community health centers and sanitation and hygiene programs. Pray for better access to health services, clean water, and adequate hygiene and sanitation facilities.

Lord God, You alone can cure disease. Bring relief to those suffering from cholera, and improve access to sanitation and hygiene resources. Inspire and empower church and community leaders to love and serve people living with HIV.

Pray for exploited children in Haiti.

Roughly 790,000 Haitian children ages 5 through 17 are forced to work in households up to 14 hours per day. Families that can’t afford their children’s care often send them to friends or relatives, hoping they will have a better life. In some cases, these children are also abused or neglected. Pray that families can find ways to provide for their children’s needs.

Dear Jesus, through the prophet Isaiah, You declared You would bind up the brokenhearted and bring freedom from darkness. Please make this promise real for Haiti’s exploited children and their families, and provide them the resources they need to achieve fullness of life.

Pray for food security in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Beyond the 2010 earthquake, severe storms have caused widespread flooding and loss of agricultural production in both countries. In late 2012, Hurricanes Isaac and Sandy pushed Haiti into a food crisis, and the Dominican economy lost $30 million in agricultural production. In 2017, hurricanes Irma and Maria wrought further damage. Pray for World Vision’s disaster relief efforts and work that is helping farmers recover by improving their agriculture techniques and irrigation systems.

Lord, with so many livelihoods at the mercy of environmental conditions, calm the storms that pass over these island nations. Bring relief to families who have lost homes and food sources. Bless farmers with the knowledge and resources to reap abundant harvests and provide for their families.

Pray for those affected by domestic violence in the Dominican Republic.

Almost 200 women are killed by their partner or former partner every year in the Dominican Republic. In some cases, children are also killed — in part due to a justice system slow to protect women and children. World Vision strives to influence government policy and works with community leaders to nurture children spiritually, lift up their voices, and protect them from domestic violence. Pray that leaders will truly protect families.

Heavenly Father, raise up advocates and help lawmakers understand the importance of creating a safe environment for children. Help all concerned to act on behalf of children’s well-being.

Pray that youth in the Dominican Republic can attend secondary school.

Although about 85% of Dominican children are enrolled in primary school, only 66% of boys and 79% of girls go on to secondary school. About 190,000 orphans are at a particularly high risk of exploitation due to lack of resources, few child-rights advocates, and limited educational opportunities. World Vision provides tutoring and vocational training services to Dominican youth. Pray that more young people will have access to education and grow in the knowledge of God.

Lord, Proverbs 1:7 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Raise up those who desire to know You more. Use teachers and community leaders to impart wisdom and practical skills so that Dominican Republic children can reach their full potential.

The post Covering the world in prayer: Pray for the Caribbean appeared first on World Vision.

When World Vision writers and photographers travel, they visit some of the most generous places in the world. They are received with hospitality, but also get to witness generosity passed on to others. Through their eyes and photos, see this sacrificial giving spread.

Armenia

In Armenia, families always offer food and coffee to visitors. It’s cultural, and people wouldn’t think of not doing this no matter how they might be struggling. So our Armenia staff made sure to tell families that, even though a team of bloggers would be visiting them, they wouldn’t expect this type of hospitality. They only wanted to hear the family’s story.

Even though Anoush, a widow with a teenage son, heard the same message, she insisted on going to the store and buying not only coffee and sugar but also the cups with which to serve the group. On that visit, Anoush teaches us all a lesson about the hospitality of the heart.

Cambodia

What difference can an act of generosity make? In the case of 14-year-old Srey Neang, it means the chance at a brighter future. She used to live on the streets of Phnom Penh with her mother, who was HIV positive.

When they came to some of World Vision’s nightly training sessions, our staff asked Srey Neang’s mother about getting the girl involved in an apprentice program at a beauty salon. For parents living and working on the streets, this is a difficult dilemma. They desperately need the aid of all their children to help earn money. It warmed my heart that her mother took a chance on an opportunity for a better future for her daughter.

The beauty salon owner, Srey Pich, also took a chance by taking on a girl to train. But that chance paid off. Srey Neang is learning and helping with customers.

Of the World Vision team, Srey Neang says, “They paid attention to me. They care for me.” Sometimes the small act of paying attention can be the biggest act of generosity.

The Dominican Republic

The relationship between sponsors and their sponsored child can sometimes seem distant and unconnected. So when best-selling author and blogger Matthew Paul Turner had the opportunity to meet his sponsored child, Juan, in the Dominican Republic, the emotions came to the surface at the very end of the visit.

When Matthew and Juan hugged each other goodbye, in their embrace there was recognition of six years of kindness and generosity, and the tenderness of having a loved one within arm’s reach was shared without words.

Guatemala

Far from Guatemala City, in a rural community, the sweet sounds of a children’s orchestra ring forth. Every Saturday, you can find Gustavo teaching violin and viola to kids at World Vision’s music school.

“I teach them what I learned, what I continue to learn, and I also encourage them to find opportunities to fight for their dreams — that they can accomplish them,” Gustavo says.

As a sponsored child, Gustavo was part of World Vision’s children’s orchestra. Once he was there, he never looked back. “I’m not sure if it was the music found me or I found the music, but I couldn’t wait for Saturday to come so I could go to the music classes. It was a place where we could be free and at peace,” he remembers.

He practiced every day for four to six hours. Martin, who heads up the orchestra, mentored him, and now Gustavo passes that mentoring along to his own students both about music and life. And who knows who some of his students might go on to mentor?

India

Sixteen-year-old sponsored girl Arti Yadav spends a few days each week playing games, teaching hand-washing techniques, and tutoring children living in her community’s garbage dump. In her own life, she fights off harassment from men, breathes dense urban air pollution, and struggles to break cultural expectations that favor boys over girls for educational opportunities.

Arti has every reason to look out for herself, but she doesn’t.

She chooses to go into a more dangerous neighborhood, walking over broken glass, and give her time to children living in greater poverty than herself.

Rwanda

Milk mustaches take on a special meaning at the Tare Milk Collection Center in Rwanda. World Vision helped build the facility and train staff as a place for farmers to bring milk and know they would get a fair price. The staff then began to notice malnourished children around the center and saw an opportunity to give back to the community plus to support World Vision’s goals of child well-being.

Chantal Mugirase, who works as the cashier at the Milk Collection Center, faced hunger herself when she was growing up. Now she oversees the feeding program.

Emmanuel (left) is an orphan on his own, moving from house to house for shelter. The staff makes sure the 12-year-old is part of the feeding program. Since he’s been receiving milk, they’ve noticed that he’s more involved with other children in the community as well as being physically healthier.

Chantal says, “I am very confident that these children will be okay. They will grow up. They will grow with that kind of helping heart. They will also be able to help others.” And so the kindness and support will continue to spread.

Four-year-old Claire blesses those around her with her brilliant smile. Before she came to live with a kindly couple — Beata and Vedaste, who attended her church — she showed signs of malnutrition. Her single mother couldn’t provide enough food. Beata and Vedaste once struggled with their own children’s hunger, but thanks to World Vision’s training and support, they now thrive.

“I know pain. I’ve been through painful situations. I know what it means to be hungry. I know what it means to have a child when you don’t have food or drink to give to them,” says Beata. “I feel compelled to help people because God restored my life when I was almost dead. The second chance was given to me to live. I want to use it to help people.” From that pain comes a chance for a brighter future for Claire.

The United States

James Dawson is a school bus driver who had volunteered to evacuate people in his school bus from the oncoming Hurricane Matthew.

Initially, the plan was that he would drive a busload of evacuees who didn’t have reliable transportation to a shelter in Valdosta, Georgia. Then he would turn around and pick up more evacuees.

However, before he could return to his home in Brunswick, Georgia, he got a call telling him to stay in Valdosta at the shelter. He had no supplies with him. Now he had become an evacuee himself. But James wasn’t worried. He put his complete trust and faith in God.

In fact, every day before he starts his bus, he says, “I always say a little prayer asking God to take the steering wheel.” This man of faith’s servant heart and positive attitude in the face of life’s obstacles challenges us all to greater faith.

The post Photos of the most generous places in the world appeared first on World Vision.

As Hurricane Irma heads toward the U.S., it has weakened to a Category 4 storm — but still has sustained winds around 150 mph. It’s expected to maintain strength as it hits Florida this weekend, aiming directly for Miami per current projections. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has advised Floridians on both coasts to evacuate. Georgia’s coastal towns are also evacuating.

The storm has already killed 20 people across the Caribbean and caused widespread damage, including the near-total destruction of Barbuda.

Join us in praying for Florida and the Caribbean — for those already affected by the storm and those preparing for its fury.

Pray for people evacuating.

As Florida and coastal Georgia families evacuate, traffic is thick and slow-moving. Gas and grocery supplies are low. And all of that means patience begins to wane. Pray for the 1.4 million people ordered to evacuate and the 3 million people in harm’s way. But also pray for people who are hesitant to leave or flat-out refuse to move out of harm’s way.

Prince of Peace, we ask for an extra measure of Your great peace and patience for all the people who are desperately trying to get out of the storm’s path. Prolong their gas supplies so there are fewer breakdowns on the road. Keep people alert so as to avoid accidents. And allow everyone to get out safely. If there are people hesitant or refusing to leave, we ask You to speak to them about finding safe harbor.

Pray for children.

It’s scary for children when they’re evacuating or when they’ve been displaced from home or even lost their home altogether. Pray for comfort for children. Pray also for the safety of displaced children, as chaos is a key time for predators to use vulnerability and confusion to harm young ones. And pray that children don’t become separated from their parents.

Jesus, we know that You love children and hurt to see them scared and suffering. Wrap Your loving arms around them so they may know Your great peace in this scary time. Keep them safe from evil people who may want to prey on their pain or confusion.

Pray the storm shifts.

While all reports seem to indicate that Florida will face the brunt of the storm, we know that God is in control of all things, and He wants us to ask and keep on asking (Matthew 7:7-8), as He is God of the impossible (Matthew 19:26). Pray that the storm will shift so there’s less damage than anticipated.

Almighty God, the wind and the waves bow at Your command. We plead with You for the storm to shift. Calm the winds and waves. Move Irma out of direct path with Miami and other largely populated areas.

Pray for aid workers and first responders.

In the wake of a natural disaster, communication can be challenging, roads can be unpassable, and plans can be hard to execute as new obstacles develop. Pray for the people who work to help families in trouble as well as those who administer medical aid and distribute relief supplies.

Great Shepherd, guide the hands and feet of all the people who are working on Your behalf right now or preparing to work. Remove the obstacles they face, and give them grace and patience in difficult circumstances. Renew their energy and strength so they can continue carrying out their work after long hours and fatigue. Revive the spirits of those who have witnessed deaths and who help recover victims’ bodies.

Pray for supply-truck drivers.

World Vision is pre-positioning relief supplies ahead of Irma hitting Florida. Trucks are en route from Texas and will wait in Georgia until we know specifically where to send them after the storm passes. Pray for the truck drivers who are transporting all the pallets of goods. Pray for safety as they travel and that they’re able to safely reach areas in need after the storm passes.

Lord, as drivers truck in supplies, keep them awake and alert on the road. After the storm passes, as they begin to transport to affected areas, give them passable roads so they can reach distribution points quickly and efficiently. 

Pray for the cleanup work.

As flooding continues across the Caribbean and is highly anticipated in the U.S., cleanup efforts will be extensive as the water recedes. Pray for wisdom for the leaders organizing the efforts and for safety as workers encounter hidden and emerging dangers.

God, we ask You to keep cleanup workers safe as they help communities dig out from the floods. Give them the wisdom to know what to do and how to do it so they don’t injure themselves or others.

Pray for those who lost loved ones.

At least 20 people have died so far in five Caribbean nations. Pray for families who have lost someone and are grieving on top of all the other problems they face right now.

Comforter, we ask that You be with those who have family members or friends who died in the storm. The pain is indescribable, but we know that You see their pain and tears and are present. Help them to feel Your peace in the midst of such great pain.

The post Hurricane Irma: Pray for Florida, Caribbean appeared first on World Vision.

It can be so hard to decide what to give your mom for Mother’s Day. So this year, we asked some children we work with what they would give their mothers if they could give them anything in the world this Mother’s Day.

Their answers range from sweet to practical to downright silly, but all are filled with heartfelt appreciation and love. Here’s what they had to say.

El Salvador

Pedro, 11, is a World Vision sponsored child in El Salvador. When asked what he would give his mother, Irma, for Mother’s Day, he said, “I would give her all my love, my feelings — she deserves all my heart. For four years, since my father died, my mother has been a mother and father to me. I am getting ahead [in school], and I am a good child.” (©2017 World Vision/photo by Katia Maldonado)

Syria and Lebanon

Eight-year-old Clarita, registered in World Vision’s sponsorship program, is a Syrian refugee living in Lebanon. If she could give her mother anything for Mother’s Day, she says, “I would get her everything beautiful in the world.” Stretching her arms open wide, she adds with a smile, “I love my mother just as much as she loves me, and it’s this big.” (©2017 World Vision/photo by Josephine Haddad)

Dominican Republic

A World Vision sponsored child in the Palmera area of northern Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 9-year-old Ismael says, “If I could, I would give a refrigerator to my mom — and lots of love. I want my mom to have many years. If I could, I would give an SUV to my mom.”  (©2017 World Vision/photo by Juan Pablo Ramirez)

Lebanon

Hadi, age 9, is a sponsored Lebanese boy who would like to buy his mother a cat for Mother’s Day. “She is crazy about cats. We already have one, but I would buy her another so she can give it a weird name like she did with the first kitten.” He continues, “I would tell her that she is the smartest person I know, and the best mother in [the] world.” (©2017 World Vision/photo by Josephine Haddad)

Sierra Leone

Eleven-year-old Sebenele is in grade 6 in Sierra Leone. When asked what she would like to buy her mother for a gift, she said a cell phone. “She will use it to call my father. My father works in South Africa and visits once in three months. My mother’s phone is old, and sometimes she cannot receive calls,” she says. (©2017 World Vision/photo by Sahr Kemoh Ngaujah)

Honor your mom by helping new moms.

Help provide new mothers with training and essentials they need to properly care for their babies.

The post What children around the world would give their moms for Mother’s Day appeared first on World Vision.