Recent Posts

Why we start with water and sanitation

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Rachael Dill Boyer in Causes

Recently I was invited on a trip with World Vision donors to visit our clean water programs in Uganda. I’m really proud that World Vision’s water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programming is among the most advanced in the sector and helps thousands of children and families in communities affected by drought, natural disasters, and poor living conditions around the world. While in Uganda, I talked with John Steifel, World Vision’s Uganda WASH program coordinator. I sat down with him for an informal interview so he could explain to me why we start with water in a community, and why clean water by itself isn’t enough. He gave such a clear explanation of why sanitation and hygiene programs have to go...

Remembering families in the U.S. this New Year

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Laura Reinhardt in Stories

Every year about this time, I list goals for the upcoming year — new year resolutions, if you will. I know it’s kind of cheesy, but I love that feeling of starting fresh. Then, I think about some of the families I’ve met in my work as a World Vision communicator in the United States, and I realize that they don’t have time to think about these kinds of goals. For many U.S. families living in poverty, it’s a struggle just to provide food and shelter for their loved ones. One such family is the Cutrights from West Virginia....

5 tips for choosing your charity for your year-end giving

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Larry Probus in Conversations

We’ve all heard the advice: Get your charitable donations in before the clock strikes midnight on December 31 — or say goodbye to potential tax breaks. But how to make sure you’re choosing the best charity in the first place? Here are 5 tips for making the most of your charitable dollars before we ring in the new year....

11 memorable photos from 2011

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Jon Warren in Stories

Top 11 photos from 2011 | World Vision blog

Thousands of photos are taken each year in nearly 100 countries worldwide where World Vision programs help reach the most vulnerable. These 11 photos reflect the stories, the struggles and the events that have changed people’s lives forever this year — from earthquakes to famine, from hardship to triumph, from despair to hope....

Goats, scones, and life-changing gifts

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Sarah De la Cruz in Stories

On day 11 of the 2011 True Spirit of Christmas Trip, our team introduced you to Joyce, who’s life has been changed thanks to the gift of goats from the World Vision Gift Catalog. The goats provide Joyce with milk and a means for extra income that she sometimes uses to purchase ingredients to make scones from her own recipe. We shared Joyce’s special scone recipe straight from her kitchen with World Vision supporters on Facebook after our trip host, Kirsten Stearns, did some midday baking with Joyce calling her scones “among the best she has ever tasted.” Back in the United States, a long way from Joyce’s kitchen in Zambia, Kirsten’s sister-in-law Sarah and her church group agree the scones...