WHEREAS, World Help, a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian organization located in Forest, Virginia, is commended for its global humanitarian efforts; and

WHEREAS, formed in 1991 by Vernon Brewer, World Help focuses its efforts in four main categories: child advocacy, humanitarian aid, Bible distribution, and church planting; and

WHEREAS, in an effort to care for those children who do not have access to basic necessities, World Help provides the opportunity for individuals to sponsor a child; and

WHEREAS, World Help has had over 39,000 sponsorships for children since the founding of the organization; the sponsorships provide food, clothing, medical attention, and educational opportunities for children in desperate need around the world; and

WHEREAS, World Help established the Good Samaritan Vocational Center in 2007 in northern Uganda as a place where young girls who were forced into child marriages and young boys who were child soldiers can learn welding, tailoring, or hair care skills to enable them to have a dignified vocation to support themselves and their families; upon graduation, the students receive the tools of their trade; and

WHEREAS, recognizing the impact of AIDS on families and children in Africa, World Help has built 52 Homes of Hope; each home is headed by caring workers and provides living quarters for 12 children who have been orphaned because of AIDS; and

WHEREAS, World Help has also worked with the support of individuals, churches, organizations, and medical facilities to ship 244 containers of food, aid, and supplies worldwide in response to disasters; and

WHEREAS, since the devastating earthquake in Haiti, World Help has shipped 40 containers of food, water, clothing, emergency medical supplies, and other essential aid worth over $9.7 million; and

WHEREAS, in many parts of the world, fresh, clean water is in short supply, causing illness and lost time as children and adults must search for water; World Help has provided 108 fresh water wells worldwide; and

WHEREAS, since its inception, World Help has generously given $210 million in humanitarian aid, distributed nine million Bibles, constructed 1,269 churches, and trained 32,000 pastors; and

WHEREAS, dedicated to showing love and compassion around the world to those in need, World Help has provided vital aid to those who need it most and provided an opportunity for many children not only to survive childhood but also to thrive into adulthood; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend World Help for its global humanitarian efforts; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to World Help as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect and admiration.

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