World Vision originated in Oregon and focuses on serving East Asia in emergencies. Currently, World Vision is helping more than 100 countries around the globe. 

Gifting to Those in Need 

World Vision is an international Christian organization that aids families in poverty. Bob Pierce only had $5 in his pocket, which he gave to a needy child. The scenario encouraged Pierce to create his own foundation. In 1950, World Vision was created by Robert Pierce and geared toward providing care to children residing in Korea. World Vision’s mission statement is to bring transformation for families and communities to demolish the causes of poverty. 

The foundation continued to assist others in poverty from the 1900s. In 1970, World Vision aided stranded Vietnamese refugees in Operation Seasweep. Years later, World Vision was changing the world by convincing churches to provide information about the AIDS crisis when others did not acknowledge the hard topic. During the 2000s, World Vision aided those with long-term recovery for those who suffered from poverty after tsunamis destroyed everything. By 2022, 90% of expenses had been sent out to various charities to prevent the cycle of poverty. Today, the foundation has assisted more than 3.5 million children in more than 100 countries.

Envisioning Light

A heroic well-known figure to participate in the foundation is Bethany Hamilton. On October 31, 2002, Bethany Hamilton surfed at Makua Beach in He’ena, Kauai with her friend. At the time, Hamilton was only 13 years old when a Tiger shark bit her arm while lying on her board. Around three weeks later, Hamilton hopped back on her board to go surfing shortly after the attack. It was Hamilton’s strong faith that kept pursuing her dreams of surfing. Hamilton won fifth place during the Open Women’s division of a surf competition in 2004. In 2005, she won first place in the Explorer Women’s division for the NSSA National Championships. 

In 2004, Bethany Hamilton collaborated with World Vision to support those in need. The purpose of her visit was to help survivors who were coping with the aftermath of natural disasters, families facing poverty and children with disabilities. Following a devastating tsunami in Thailand, Hamilton flew there to provide essential supplies to those who had lost their homes. Over three weeks, she actively engaged with three villages, playing games with children and assisting local fishermen. One of these villages, Lam Tukkae, witnessed Hamilton inviting more than 50 children to spend a day at the lake. Her goal was to restore their confidence in the water, achieved through gradual steps into the water and educational sessions on surfing.

Expansion of World View 

Out of inspiration from World Vision, Bethany Hamilton created her own organization to reach out to others in her own way. Hamilton’s foundation is titled Friends of Bethany. The mission statement is to comfort others who suffered from shark attacks while actively listening to others’ admirable life stories and how they overcame their struggles through strong faith. The stories transform into packets that are handed out to hospitalized victims.

-Paige Couture

Photo: Flickr