Everyone has different words to describe 2021; a few words we think of are encouraged, miraculous, and grateful. We had no idea what 2021 would hold, but God did. Reflecting on the last 12 months has reminded us of all that God has done in our ministry and the incredible community He provided to help make it all happen.
Take a look and rejoice in everything that happened this past year!
Our Food Program had a BIG year! In fact, 2021 was our largest year yet! This year held the launch of our domestic meal, Cheesy Lentils and Rice. This new blend offers a protein and vitamin-rich meal specific for local distribution. Between Serv@Home and Gather2Serv events, we served alongside 29,000 volunteers and partners to pack 7.5 million meals. Over 5 million of those meals were shipped to our ministry partners in 12 different countries overseas and over 2 million meals were distributed to local food pantries and shelters throughout the U.S.
For one of the events, we had the honor of teaming up with the 9/11 Day Foundation for their September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance Event. Thousands of volunteers in four different cities partnered with us to honor those who served by serving others. Through this incredible event, we packed over 800,000 meals to help local communities struggling with food insecurity.
The food program continues to be a strong element of our ministry both here and abroad. With the continuation of lockdowns, natural disasters, and supply shortages, hunger relief is still a heightened priority.
2021 brought a variety of unexpected obstacles from shipping & supply chain backlogs, bottlenecks at ports, and a short supply of containers and transportation. But with every challenge, we were reminded we serve a God of the impossible.
Thanks to donations from the local park districts, churches, and schools needing to improve their play equipment, we harvested 52 playgrounds.
Despite the delays and disruptions, we shipped 42 playgroundsto 13 countries around the world. Playgrounds were built in 23 countries, including the U.S.! This was made possible through the help of our amazing volunteer installers. When we could not travel, our in-country installers stepped up to bring the gift of play to kids. We have been blessed with our Little Tikes Commercial brand partnership and the heart they have to bring commercial-grade playgrounds to places where families gather and play. Through our partnership, we strive to bring play to more children across the globe.
*Please join us in praying over the operations of supply chains and shipping departments along with our team.
KIDStory relies on people gathering together to experience God’s stories and build relationships with Jesus and one another. One would think with all the lockdowns and travel restrictions that StoryClubs and workshops would come to a screeching halt…BUT that has not been the case. God has opened up more doors and opportunities than we could ever imagine. Zoom video calls became an essential tool to train and equip leaders worldwide in the KIDStory method of teaching. We are seeing God ignite passion in parents, pastors, and individuals to share His transforming hope with children. Every week thousands of children all over the world gather to experience and learn about Jesus through StoryClubs. Nearly 20,000 kids participated in StoryClubs last year, and in total, we are impacting nearly 3.5 million children regularly.
More and more children are seeking a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Through the sharing of His Story and the working of His Spirit, the Kingdom is growing!
We can’t wait to find out just how much we can accomplish together in 2022!
– Your Kids Around the World family
-Jeremiah 29:11