Wings of Hope (charity)
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| Founded | 1962 |
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| Type | Non-Profit Organization |
| Focus | Aviation nonprofit lifting people in need toward health and self-sufficiency |
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Area served
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U.S., Americas, Asia, Africa |
| Website | wingsofhope |
Wings of Hope is an aviation nonprofit organization which helps communities worldwide become more self-sufficient through improved health, education, economic opportunity, and food security. It was founded in 1962 in St. Louis, Missouri, and currently conducts operations in 11 countries, including the United States. The organization was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 and 2012, holds a 4-Star rating on Charity Navigator and is a GuideStar Gold Participant. In 2015, 92.3% of the organization's budget was spent on its program services.
Wings of Hope was founded by four businessmen from St. Louis, Mo., who had heard of a young woman, Sister Michael Therese Ryan, who was the pilot of a small, fabric-covered Piper PA-18 Super Cub in the Turkana Desert region in Kenya. The founders are William Edwards (St. Louis businessman), Joseph Fabick (Fabick Tractor Company), Paul Rodgers (V.P., Ozark Air Lines), and George Haddaway (famous aviation advocate and publisher of Flight magazine). The story of Sister Ryan using aircraft to bring relief to impoverished famine victims in a vast, remote region of Kenya inspired the men to raise money for a stronger, all-metal aircraft to better aid the effort. After the founders raised the necessary capital for a new Cessna U206, legendary aviator Max Conrad piloted the plane on an epic journey across the Atlantic from St. Louis to Nairobi, Kenya. The story was well publicized and brought about a large response from the international community – from people seeking assistance and needing aircraft, to those who wanted to help by offering their time, money and services. From this initial effort of four men on a mission to help those in need, Wings of Hope has grown into a global aviation nonprofit working in 47 countries since its birth in 1962.
Wings of Hope established its Medical Relief and Air Transport (MAT) Program in 2003 to serve the very real need for health care access that exists in the United States. While the U.S. is home to the world's best doctors and most advanced health care facilities, many families have no way to reach these lifesaving specialists when medical crises threaten the lives of their children and loved ones. The MAT Program is the only free medical air transport service in the U.S. with specially equipped aircraft that can accommodate stretchers, wheelchairs and medical equipment. In 2015, the MAT Program provided 929 patient flights, accommodating both patients and caregivers.
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