Christian Radio Stations Collect $3M for Food Crisis
The concerted effort of nearly 1,000 Christian radio stations last week to raise awareness about the global food crisis has resulted in an astounding $3.1 million in donations that will feed the world's poorest families.
In spite of the economic downturn, tens of thousands of Americans generously responded last Wednesday on Global Food Crisis Awareness Day when Christian radio stations from California to New York appealed to listeners to do something about the thousands of children "dying needlessly of hunger every day."
More than 27,000 listeners responded, giving way beyond the $1 million goal set by event planners.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"The way in which these Christian radio stations and their supporters have answered the call to care for the poor is overwhelming," says Wess Stafford, president and CEO of Compassion International, in a statement. "They have demonstrated the true meaning of the word 'compassion.'"
Global Food Crisis Awareness Day, March 11, was designated by Compassion International, a Christian ministry working to support poor children and families around the world.
Some notable highlights from last week's campaign included:
• Point of Grace talking on air about the global food crisis and asking listeners to help at The Fish (Salem Broadcasting) in Nashville
• A listener from Missouri calling in to say that she believes God wanted her to give a sum of $60,000 from her settlement to help hungry children
• A deli owner who called his local station to say he wanted to donate 100 percent of his cash profits for that day to help with the food crisis
• One listener called and said he is on food stamps, and through tears, said that through hearing how millions of people are going hungry he realizes how much he has. He said he just received a $25 raise at his job and pledged to donate $13 to feed a child.
"All of us at STAR 99.1 are exhilarated at the results of the Global Food Crisis campaign," says Johnny Stone, program director and morning show host at WAWZ Star 99.1, which covers New York City and New Jersey markets, according to Compassion International. "This proves if we pray hard and work hard, we can make a difference."
Compassion International is the world's largest Christian child development organization that supports children living in poverty through one-to-one child sponsorship. Since 1952, the ministry has served more than 1 million children in 25 of the world's poorest countries through nearly 5,000 local churches.
