Urgent Help Needed for Earthquake Victims in El Salvador
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent
ASSIST Communications
PLACENTIA, CALIFORNIA (January 18, 2001) — Global Operations and Development ”Giving Children Hope,” a Christian relief ministry, is planning an immediate shipment of food, blankets, medicine, and hygiene kits to El Salvador for victims of the Jan. 13 earthquake.
“The victims are crying out for our help and care. We have all the goods prepared; we just need shipping funds,” said Bill Barta, a spokesman for the Placentia, Ca.-based ministry, who was formerly with International Aid Inc., of Michigan.
“We are working with an Assemblies of God church in El Salvador. At present we are trying to get more info on them. A U.S. Assemblies church is supplying some of the funding,” said Barta.
He said: “We are sending a 40 ft. ocean container of food, blankets, and medical supplies and hygiene items. We got much of this from Operation Blessing in California, some from Children’s Network, and some of our own warehoused goods.
“So far, the ministry has no personnel on the ground in El Salvador from California yet, but volunteers may go to the earthquake area from the AOG church here we are working with,” Barta said.
The ministry plans to load the emergency items in Placentia on Monday, Jan. 22, pick up of the container on Jan. 24, and sail for El Salvador on Jan 26. The relief venture is a six-day trip to a destination port, which is as yet unknown.
“We plan a second container if we can get the funding. We also plan to continue to work with US churches and the AOG church in El Salvador,” Barta said.
He added: “We have a loyalty to the relatives and friends of many El Salvadorians in the Orange County/Los Angeles area. We are the primary international relief agency in Orange County and this is our mission — to provide relief to the needy around the world.
“We are stopping work on our normal relief and development operations to help the victims of the earthquake. The needs will continue for months and months with these hurting people, and we intend on continuing our support until the funding is exhausted,” he said.