Operation Blessing International
| Founded | 1978 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-Government Organization |
| Focus | Disaster Relief & Development |
| Location |
|
|
Area served
|
105 countries |
| Method | Direct Aid / Program Funding |
|
Key people
|
Bill Horan (President) |
|
Revenue
|
USD $377,963,289 (2011) |
| Slogan | Our mission is to demonstrate God's love by alleviating human need and suffering in the United States and around the world. |
| Website | www.operationblessing.org |
Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation (OBI) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization founded in the United States. Beginning in 1978, OBI has operations in 105 countries and all 50 US states, providing goods and services valued at more than $3.1 billion. Implementing programs that provide disaster relief, medical aid, clean water, hunger relief, community development and orphan care, Operation Blessing is governed by a national board of directors that includes founder M. G. "Pat" Robertson.
Founded on November 14, 1978 by businessman, televangelist, and philanthropist Pat Robertson, Operation Blessing was originally set up to help struggling individuals and families by match ing their needs for items such as clothing, appliances, and vehicles with donated items from viewers of The 700 Club, Robertson's daily television program. Coordinating with local churches and other organizations, OBI expanded their matching funds program to also include food provisions and financial assistance for low-income families. In 1990, Operation Blessing began moving from individual assistance to helping fund outreach centers across the U.S. who provide a broad, community impact through their partnerships with local ministries, food pantries, and shelters. Internationally, OBI continued to expand its medical, hunger and disaster relief efforts and, in 1986, Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation was officially incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
According to the organization's official website, Operation Blessing's mission statement is "...to demonstrate God's love by alleviating human need and suffering in the United States and around the world." Operation Blessing operates on an ongoing basis in 39 countries around the world, implementing programs that provide strategic disaster relief, medical aid, hunger relief, clean water and community development.
Specializing in disaster relief, Operation Blessing has most recently been involved in domestic relief work for victims of severe flooding in Columbia, South Carolina after the October 2015 North American storm complex brought unprecedented rainfall. Internationally, Operation Blessing is helping Refugees of the Syrian Civil War in Greece, Lebanon, Jordan, Bulgaria and Hungary who have fled extreme violence in Syria. In the wake of a devastating outbreak of the Zika virus in Latin America and the Caribbean, Operation Blessing is employing juvenile turtles, fish and copepods to eat mosquito larvae before the insects can spread the virus. Operation Blessing is also fighting the spread of Zika through education, mosquito nets and insect repellent to protect the most vulnerable, especially pregnant women and their unborn children.
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Wikipedia