Operation Blessing International

One of the largest charities in America, providing strategic disaster relief, medical aid, hunger relief, clean water and orphan care daily in the U.S. and 22 countries worldwide.

Why do we exist?

Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation (OBI) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) humanitarian organization with a mission to demonstrate God’s love by alleviating human need and suffering in the United States and around the world.

Beginning in 1978 and headquartered in Virginia, OBI has touched the lives of more than 215 million people in 105 countries and all 50 states, providing goods and services valued at more than $2.1 billion.

Operation Blessing takes a “Swiss Army knife” approach and responds strategically by providing hunger relief, disaster relief, medical aid, clean water, orphan care, educational assistance and microenterprise opportunities to those in need in the U.S. and around the world.    

What have you accomplished?

OBI provides relief in real time by acting as a first responder in numerous disasters. In the last 12 months, our partners’ support has helped supply emergency aid to victims of flooding in Georgia and North Dakota; Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines; the 7.6-magnitude quake in Indonesia and more. Our Orphan’s Care program has provided basic necessities such as shelter, food and medical care to children including 200 war orphans in the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as fought child trafficking through safe houses, education and mentoring homes. Hunger Relief has also remains to be at the top of the list as our fleet of tractor-trailers distributes millions of pounds of food and relief supplies to America's hungry each week.

Here’s one example of how Operation Blessing is strategically meeting the needs of hungry individuals in the United States.

For struggling families in Morganton, N.C., many of whom have lost jobs and been hit hard by the economy this year, the free groceries offered by the Outreach Center will make the difference between empty stomachs and full ones this holiday season.

As a widow living on fixed incomes, Naomi is acutely aware of the difficulty of putting food on the table. "If it wasn't for this, I don't know what I'd do ... because I don't have the money to buy it," she said.

The Outreach Center is able to serve an average of 1,200 families every week—families just like Naomi’s—largely because of the supplies they receive from Operation Blessing.

"We see a lot of people come to the church for food because they cannot buy food for themselves,” said Glenn Biddix, the Center's assistant director. "Operation Blessing has really been a blessing for us because they supply anywhere from 60-75 percent of our food items."
With the unemployment rate in Morganton now over 14 percent, according to the Center, that support is needed more than ever now—especially for families like Mary's.
Mary is diabetic and unable to work. Her husband lost his job several months ago, and now they are barely able to afford the medication she needs, let alone food for their family. "I thank the Lord for this place, because I don’t know what I'd do if it wasn't here," Mary said. "If we didn’t get this, we'd hardly have anything. It's awful to say, but it's the truth."

	How do you help people in my community?		Why do you need my support?
	How can I be sure that you will use my money wisely and won't waste it?		Can I Volunteer? How?