Dear Friends of Stop Hunger Now,

Grove’s 20,000 meal packaging event have been shipped in a container totaling 285,120 meals from our Philadelphia, PA warehouse.  The meals will be received by our in-country partner Foursquare Children of Promise International in Cambodia.

FCOP International (Foursquare Children of Promise) is a 501(c)3 organization that works to provide aid for orphans and widows in 24 different provinces of Cambodia. The short and long term goals of their orphan program are to feed, clothe, and educate the poor and needy through the ministry of the local church.  
Since 2001, FCOP has grown from 22 church orphan homes to 108 church orphan homes currently caring for more than 3,000 orphans, separated children and widows. FCOP accepts children regardless of race, creed, or economic background. The facilities they operate are constructed in the area of need and are limited to a maximum size of 40 children. This allows children to stay in their home area, near friends and distant relatives. When a facility reaches maximum enrollment they create another facility in a near-by community. All the children in FCOP's program attend school as well. The homes are staffed locally, normally by widows and members of the local church with a ratio of one staff person per five orphans. 

Stop Hunger Meals will be going to each of the 24 districts, providing food to every child and widow in the homes. Children in the orphan program are continually cared for until they leave the FCOP program. Children stay at the homes until the age of 18 but they are supported for longer if need be, until they are placed in a sustainable form of employment.

THANKS TO ALL OF THE HELPING HANDS FROM GROVE WHO MADE THIS HAPPEN!

Thinking ahead to next year – the date has been booked - May 18, 2014 – please mark your calendars now!!!!

The $5,000 fund raising in a few short weeks was not ideal, but it was accomplished, thanks to all the generous donors.   During the evening, we realized we could have packaged 30,000 meals with the hands that we had, but had to stick with the 20,000 due to the fund raising commitment. 

We’d like to start our fundraising much earlier for our next event and have a focus multiple times throughout the year and let this guide what is the right amount of meals we can package.   Please consider multiple donations throughout the year.

Thanks again for your support of this amazing Grove event – there are tasks for all of us regardless of age or ability.   It truly demonstrates what Grove is really about.