In June of 2009, a team of volunteers traveled to Romania to deliver an 8-month supply of nutritional supplements to hundreds of children. It was an incredible success! However, by February 2010, when the supplements were due to run out, Romania would be in the middle of a very harsh winter. The average temperature on a Romanian winter day is -35 degrees Celsius. Without proper nutritional support during colder weather, immune systems are challenged and children become more vulnerable to the effects of malnutrition. MannaRelief saw this as a challenge that we could meet with the help of our donors.
To meet this need for on-going nutritional support, we launched a new life-giving campaign called Spare Change for Real Change with the idea that $0.16 a day could change a child’s life. At it’s launch in Chicago last November, more than 200 children were sponsored. A few weeks later, 250 more children had been sponsored. At just 8 weeks into the campaign, every orphanage in Romania that will be visited in July of 2010 was completely sponsored to receive on-going nutritional support!
An Unbroken Supply of Nutrition
Thanks to our generous donors who joined the Spare Change for Real Change campaign, two 500lb. pallets with more than 3,300 bottles of Glyco●Bears®, a children’s multivitamin and mineral supplement, were shipped to Romania to provide consistent nutritional support to more than 800 children in 8 orphanages. This shipment marks a major milestone for MannaRelief as it was our first international container drop. With hardly any complications through customs, the shipment was a huge success for MannaRelief and the children of Romania. These children now have enough essential nutrition to last until the next MannaRelief mission trip in July of 2010.
As a part of the MannaRelief mission, it is fundamental that nutrition is provided on a consistent basis. Working together, container drops, mission trips, and the Spare Change for Real Change campaign will ensure that children receive the consistent nutritional support they need to thrive.
Experience Your Change in Action
As we mentioned earlier, in July a team of volunteers will return to Romania on a mission to deliver advanced nutrition to orphanages across the country. If you’ve joined the Spare Change for Real Change campaign, this will be an incredible opportunity to see the children you are sponsoring. Don’t miss out on this chance of a lifetime. Join MannaRelief and help provide advanced nutrition to orphans in Romania! Learn more and download your application today >
If you’re unable to join us on MissionRomania 2010, make a difference by joining the Spare Change for Real Change campaign. Sponsor a child for $0.16 a day, that’s only $4.96 a month, to give advanced nutrition that will help children build the foundation for good health and provide the opportunity to lead meaningful and productive lives.
