Recently, I was talking with my mother on the phone, and I told her about my plans to sell art prints, concert tickets and other items, for the purpose of helping to raise funds for the victims and survivors of the devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri. I said that I would very likely distribute those funds by sending them to the Red Cross or maybe to World Vision, along with instructions to the effect that the funds should be used specifically to help the folks in Joplin.
Mother suggested that I should strongly consider sending the funds to the folks at Convoy of Hope. I was somewhat less familiar with that organization, but after researching that option, I decided that that would be a very good idea.
Convoy of Hope seems to be one of the primary relief organizations endorsed by the Assemblies of God church. (Hillcrest Chapel, the church I currently attend here in Bellingham, is a member of that denomination, which has played a major role in my life on many occasions over the years, ever since I became a Christian in 1969.)
What makes Convoy of Hope a particularly good choice for this particular project is the fact that the headquarters for Convoy of Hope are located in Springfield, MO, about 70 miles east of Joplin. Logistically, Convoy of Hope is in a very good location from which to manage relief efforts related to Joplin and its needs. That isn't to disparage other relief organizations by any means, but it is to suggest that it just makes sense to keep things close to Joplin, as much as possible.
Springfield is also the location of the headquarters for the Assemblies of God church, and that city is also where I spent the majority of my years as a child. My mother still lives there (which no doubt helps to explain why she's so familiar with Convoy of Hope).
I still remember, as a boy, visiting the birthplace of George Washington Carver, in Neosho, about 22 miles south of Joplin.
For the above reasons, and for the reason that web searches have suggested to me that Convoy of Hope is a very reputable charity (with a four star rating from CharityNavigator.com), I've decided that most of the funds raised by the Joplin Relief Project (which is a subproject of the Artistic Rescue Project, which in turn is a subproject of the Christian Arts Initiative) will be distributed by sending the funds raised by fundraisers conducted by ArtisticRescue.com to Convoy of Hope.
Here's information (found today on the website for the Assemblies of God Church) about Convoy of Hope's involvement specifically with relief efforts in Joplin (and elsewhere):
Convoy of Hope still responding
Thu, 23 Jun 2011 - 3:05 PM CST
The first six months of 2011 have been marked by multiple major natural disasters. Convoy of Hope has responded to these disasters in the U.S. and, in partnership with Assemblies of God World Missions, overseas. Although news coverage has faded, Convoy of Hope has maintained an ongoing presence in some of the most devastated areas.
Joplin, Missouri:
Four weeks into its response, Convoy of Hope has shipped more than 1.3 million pounds of relief and recovery supplies to Joplin. There have been as many as four distribution sites running throughout this period. Working closely with local churches, volunteers have donated more than 8,500 man-hours to help distribute those supplies to individuals and families affected by the disaster.
Convoy of Hope has opened a walk-in facility on property donated for this use by Pyramid Foods, parent company to a chain of 48 Price Cutter grocery stores in the Midwest. Residents affected by the tornado may receive relief supplies and other items, such as rakes, shovels, brooms, work gloves, quality trash bags, trashcans, food, water and children's toys.
Convoy of Hope anticipates their work in Joplin will be a two-year project.
Japan:
Convoy of Hope is currently working with AG missionaries and pastors in seven communities in Japan. Since the earthquake and resulting tsunami struck on March 11, they have distributed more than $1 million in aid, including food, supplies, home starter kits, appliance sets and clean water. This will be another long-term response and Convoy of Hope has committed to have personnel on the ground in Japan for one year.
Alabama/Southeast:
To date, Convoy of Hope has distributed more than 1 million pounds (29 truckloads) of relief supplies to the victims of this disaster, including food, water, 1,500 flood buckets and other supplies. There have been a total of nine points of distribution.
For more information on Convoy of Hope's disaster response efforts, visit the organization's website.
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A FINAL NOTE
With regard to the issue of accountability, I plan to periodically use this site in order to publish documentation of each and every check sent by ArtisticRescue.com to Convoy of Hope. (Distrustful souls can then contact that organization, if they wish, to verify that they did in fact receive those checks, earmarked for the specified projects.) There may also be situations where I will work with other charities which are better choices in some situations, and I will likewise publish documentation of those contributions.
Also, I plan to invite respected leaders with whom I'm in contact to periodically audit and oversee this fund raising operation, so that someone can vouch for my integrity on an ongoing basis. Specifically:
- My mentor, Jim Murphy, the primary "teaching pastor" at Hillcrest Chapel. Pastor Murphy recently offered to "mentor" me, and while there will be more to that mentorship relationship than overseeing the Artistic Rescue project, that will hopefully be part of the relationship, if he has no objections.
- The folks at Allied Arts of Whatcom County (an organization with which I hope to soon be associated) will also insist on such accountability, if I operate under their "umbrella" until such time as the Artistic Rescue Project has 501(c) 3 status as an independent nonprofit organization.
