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Operation Blessing International

 
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Operation Blessing International
Founders M.G. "Pat" Robertson
Type Non-Government Organization
Founded 1978
Headquarters Virginia Beach, VA - USA
Staff M.G. "Pat" Robertson (Chairman of Board of Directors), Bill Horan (President)
Area served 96 countries
Focus Disaster Relief & Development
Method Direct Aid / Program Funding
Revenue USD $211,130,968 million (2006)[1]
Motto Our mission is to demonstrate God's love by alleviating human need and suffering in the United States and around the world.
Website www.ob.org

Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation (OBI) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) humanitarian organization based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. Since 1978, Operation Blessing International has provided hunger relief, disaster relief, medical aid and community development to more than 192.8 million people in 96 countries and all 50 states, providing goods and services valued at more than $1.2 billion. Operation Blessing is governed by a national board of directors that includes founder M. G. "Pat" Robertson, his wife, and son Gordon.[1]

Contents

History

Founded on November 14, 1978 by businessman, televangelist, and philanthropist Pat Robertson, Operation Blessing was originally set up to help struggling individuals and families by matching their needs for items such as clothing, appliances, and vehicles with donated items from viewers of The 700 Club, Robertson's daily television program.

Activities

According to the organization's official website, Operation Blessing's mission statement is "...to demonstrate God's love by alleviating human need and suffering in the United States and around the world."[2]

Disaster relief

Specializing in disaster relief, Operation Blessing was a first responder during the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season, which included Hurricane Charley,[3] Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Ivan, and Hurricane Jeanne.[4] The organization was involved in relief work following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand,[5] as well as ongoing recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.[6][7][8]

More recently, OBI has funded relief and recovery efforts in response to the Darfur conflict;[9] war-torn Somalia,[10] Israel and Lebanon;[11] the 2005-2006 Niger food crisis;[12] and flooding, mudslides and earthquakes in regions of Indonesia,[13] Mozambique[14] and the Philippines.[15]

Medical services

OBI operates a variety of domestic and international medical programs,[16] including a response to the post-Hurricane Katrina medical crisis in New Orleans.[17]

The organization recently launched a program called “Join the Net” to help combat the spread of malaria by mosquitoes in the developing world.[18]

Leadership

In 2007 The NonProfitTimes selected Operation Blessing President Bill Horan for inclusion on their annual list titled "Power & Influence Top 50."[19]

Affiliation

Operation Blessing is a member of the Association of Evangelical Relief and Development Organizations (AERDO)[20] and Christian Service Charities[21] and is registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)[22] and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).[23] OBI is also a national member of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD).[24]

Operation Blessing has partnered with a number of private organizations, including professional sports teams the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals.[25]

Criticism

Operation Blessing airplanes were reportedly[26] being used for Pat Robertson's personal mining venture. In 1997, two of Operation Blessing's pilots, Robert Hinkle and Tahir Brohi, told the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper that Operation Blessing planes were diverted to support Pat Robertson's diamond mining ventures instead of doing relief work in Zaire. At the time, Robertson had become a close friend of Zaire's dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko and had tried to lift the ban on Mobutu's visa to the US. A Robertson spokesperson said that the planes used were unsuitable for relief work.[citation needed]

An investigation by the Virginia Attorney General's office concluded that Operation Blessing "willfully induced contributions from the public through the use of misleading statements..." Robertson reimbursed US$400,000 to the charity and agreed to tighten its bookkeeping.[27]

Financial accountability

According to the organization, over 99.3% of OBI’s spending goes toward humanitarian programs.[1] Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network is a beneficiary of the organization.[27]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Operation Blessing 2006 Annual Report" (PDF). Operation Blessing. http://www.ob.org/press_room/annual_report/OBI_FY06_1.pdf. Retrieved 2007-09-04. 
  2. ^ "Operation Blessing, "About Us"". 2007. http://www.ob.org/about/index.asp. Retrieved 2007-08-28. 
  3. ^ "FEMA, "Beacon Of Hope" Shines On Long Term Recovery". FEMA. 2007-05-09. http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=17437. Retrieved 2007-09-05. 
  4. ^ "FEMA, Volunteer Organizations Are Making A Difference". FEMA. 2004-10-05. http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=14618. Retrieved 2007-09-05. 
  5. ^ Cantrell, Kate (2005- 01- 10). "Hampton Roads answers cry for help". Inside Business, The Hampton Roads Business Journal (Inside Business). http://www.insidebiz.com/output.cfm?ID=3439364. Retrieved 2007-09-06. 
  6. ^ Hansel, Jeff (2007- 01- 30). "Mayo Attracts Patients in New Orleans". Post-Bulletin (Post-Bulletin Company). Archived from the original on 2007-01-30. http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/820961/mayo_attracts_patients_in_new_orleans/index.html. Retrieved 2007-09-05. 
  7. ^ "Dr. Evangeline Franklin Testified Today Before The U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee". Mayors Office of Communications, City of New Orleans. 2007-03-13. http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=1&load=~/PortalModules/ViewPressRelease.ascx&itemid=3799. Retrieved 2007-09-05. 
  8. ^ "Mosquite & Termite Control Board Partner To Reduce Breeding Sites". Mayors Office of Communications, City of New Orleans. 2007-03-13. http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=1&load=~/PortalModules/ViewPressRelease.ascx&itemid=3798. Retrieved 2007-09-05. 
  9. ^ Pilloton, Emily (2007-06-11). "SUN-POWERED OVENS For China and Darfur". inhabitat.com. inhabitat.com. http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/07/11/sun-powered-ovens-for-china-and-darfur/. Retrieved 2007-09-06. 
  10. ^ Darg, David (2007-01-27). "Somalia dispatch: Delivering relief in a lawless land". Reuters AlertNet. Reuters. http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/34417/2007/00/29-180251-1.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-06. 
  11. ^ "Transcript, CNN LARRY KING LIVE". CNN LARRY KING LIVE (CNN). 2007- 08- 09. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0608/09/lkl.01.html. Retrieved 2007-09-06. 
  12. ^ Darg, David (2005-08-08). "From the field: Niger famine relief". ReliefWeb. ReliefWeb. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/LSGZ-6GVC9R?OpenDocument. Retrieved 2007-09-06. 
  13. ^ Medical Assistance Programs International (MAP) (2005-04-07). "Emergency airlift aids earthquake victims in Indonesia". ReliefWeb. ReliefWeb. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/SODA-6BL3DR?OpenDocument. Retrieved 2007-09-06. 
  14. ^ Darg, David (2007-02-21). "Mozambique dispatch: A white flag as waters rise". Reuters AlertNet. Reuters. http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/34417/2007/01/21-151308-1.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-06. 
  15. ^ Cole, Ethan (2006-12-02). "Philippine Typhoon Responders Send Supplies Amid Prayers". The Christian Post (The Christian Post). http://www.christianpost.com/article/20061202/23816_Philippine_Typhoon_Responders_Send_Supplies_Amid_Prayers.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-05. 
  16. ^ "Operation Blessing, “Medical Services”". Operation Blessing. 2007. http://www.ob.org/_programs/medical/medical_index.asp. Retrieved 2007-09-28. 
  17. ^ "A mission at home for Operation Blessing". The Virginian-Pilot. 2007-06-21. http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=106368&ran=86140. Retrieved 2007-09-28. 
  18. ^ "Operation Blessing, “Join the Net”". Operation Blessing. 2007. http://www.ob.org/jointhenet/. Retrieved 2007-09-28. 
  19. ^ "The NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50" (PDF). The NonProfit Times. http://nptimes.com/07Aug/070801Special%20Report.pdf. Retrieved 2007-08-28. 
  20. ^ "AERDO, Member Organizations". 2007. http://www.aerdo.net/directory.php. Retrieved 2007-08-31. 
  21. ^ "Christian Service Charities, Member List". 2007. http://www.christianservicecharities.org/listing.cfm?CharityID=124&#www.ob.org. Retrieved 2007-09-28. 
  22. ^ "FEMA, Thousands of Volunteers Embark On Massive Gutting in Orleans Parish". 2007. http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=34493. Retrieved 2007-08-31. 
  23. ^ "USAID, Ocean Freight Reimbursement Success Stories". 2007. http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/private_voluntary_cooperation/ofrstories.html. Retrieved 2007-08-31. 
  24. ^ "NVOAD, National Members". 2007. http://www.nvoad.org/member.php?memberid=127. Retrieved 2007-08-31. 
  25. ^ "Chiefs & Royals Help Feed Kansas City". 2007. http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2007/06/11/chiefs__royals_help_feed_kansas_city. Retrieved 2007-08-31. 
  26. ^ Bill Sizemore. "Pat Roberton's Right-Wing Gold Mine". Ms. magazine. http://www.msmagazine.com/sept03/sizemore.asp. Retrieved 2005-09-06. 
  27. ^ a b Juan Gonzalez (2005-09-06). "Disaster used as political payoff". New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/343712p-293471c.html. Retrieved 2006-06-29. 

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