In April 2011, at least 178 tornados tore through Alabama killing more than 300 people. Thankfully, this week’s reports were much less devastating. However, there are still those who have lost a friend or are still searching through the remains of what was their home. They may be wondering what the future will even look like.

Our goal is to help these people who have lost so much – perhaps for the second time in a year. Gleaning For The World was able to send out three tractor-trailer loads of supplies on Monday and one Tuesday. Their next stop? Alabama. Filled with flavored water, stuffed animals, dog food, and blankets, our prayer is that whoever receives these supplies will know God provides.

Join us in praying for Alabama!

We are humbled and excited to have received this recognition, and we are already seeing many benefits coming out of this honor. Perhaps the most exciting is the opportunity to have GFTW featured on a billboard in Times Square! We were contacted soon after the Forbes article was published and were offered the opportunity to use the space for 91 days.

Several anonymous donors came forward and gifted this billboard to us, so we did not have to use any resources of the ministry to get this sign up in Times Square.

We made a commitment a long time ago to use donated money with the utmost Christian integrity. The donation of this billboard gives us the chance to be seen on a national stage, while allowing us to maintain our commitment to put 100% of every donated dollar directly to helping the poorest of the poor.

I hope you share in our excitement and that you would commit to pray for our ministry as we continue to grow in amazing ways!

We take this very seriously here at Gleaning For The World. Every winter, we provide thousands of blankets to homeless shelters and the needy individuals themselves. Receiving a blanket can give such hope and remind a person who may be down on their luck that they are not forgotten.

According to GFTW founder Rev. Ron Davidson, the blankets we provide are “made for outdoor use, sturdy, heavy….” They are high-quality and are available for churches, other ministries and even individuals who want to pick some up to distribute to the disadvantaged in their community.

Rev. Davidson says, “After meeting homeless people myself, I had a realization early in the ministry that  any one of us could end up on the streets in 3 months.  Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control which results in losing everything including our homes…..”

Providing blankets to those in need is important to the staff here. If you, your church or a program you are involved with are interested in distributing blankets from Gleaning For The World to those in need, please call 1-877-913-9212.

We celebrated reaching this incredible milestone by holding a brief ceremony at our Concord, Va. warehouse. We invited staff, donors, volunteers and the media to attend, and had a great turnout.

It is amazing to see where God has taken this ministry that Rev. Ron Davidson started with his wife Jackie 13 years ago. We have worked in over 50 countries and have touched nearly 80 million people!

Thank you to all who attended, including the media! We were covered by WDBJ, WSET, WSLS and the Lynchburg News & Advance.

On an organizational level however, 2011 was the best year we have had thus far at Gleaning For The World. In the midst of economic turmoil around the world, GFTW managed to ship out a record 361 tractor-trailer loads of supplies worth $38,503,166 and weighing in at 11,068,600 pounds. We are closer than ever to reaching the $1/2 billion mark in supplies shipped to those in need – and we are both thrilled and humbled to be reaching so many who desperately need help!

Aside from emergency relief supplies, we also shipped over 25,000 stuffed animals to hurting children. Our flagship program, the Teddy Bear Brigade collects, sorts, cleans and ships stuffed animals to children around the world. The goal is to provide comfort, security and love to these children, and we pray 2012 allows us even more opportunities to bless these little ones.

Overall, we shipped supplies to 18 countries and 14 U.S. states, we responded to numerous natural disasters around the country, including hurricanes, flooding and tornadoes, we touched the lives of thousands of children through the gift of a stuffed animal and we had the help of over 1,500 volunteers to do it.

On top of all of the exciting work we have been doing, we were also ranked by Forbes Magazine as the most efficient large charity in America! We scored a 100% rating in fundraising efficiency and charitable commitment. We operate with the utmost integrity and knowledge that what we do matters – to us, to the people we help, but most of all to God.

We are blessed, and hope 2012 is an even better year for Gleaning!

Hopefully you  heard about our Second Annual Open House. We have been promoting the event on Facebook and Twitter for the last week or so, and it was our chance to get to know our community. The event also provided on opportunity for our community to get to know us! We had delicious refreshments and displays about our work around the world.

We estimate that at least 30 people came out to our Concord, VA warehouse for the event. We hope everyone enjoyed themselves and we are looking forward to hosting the third annual next December!

As many of our staff are preparing to greet loved ones, or take to the roads to visit family, we want to remind everyone of how thankful we are for you. You make Gleaning For The World what we are. Without your support- volunteering and financial, we could not send the volume of product that we do. We are very close to shipping over 350 tractor-trailer loads of supplies this year! That is the most we have ever shipped in one year. We have much to be thankful for.

As you reflect and count your blessings this year, we want you to know that we consider you a blessing. Your support is changing lives around the globe!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Be sure to enjoy a slice of pumpkin pie for us!

We also would be thrilled to have a video intern. Someone who can make a couple high-quality, interesting videos about our organization would be invaluable! We have actually been working with Devin Olson Media since September, and he is creating a video about GFTW which we will be able to show on this blog soon. We also have some research needs, and so we are hoping and praying that we will secure interviews and interns in the coming weeks.

We will be updating frequently about the progress we are making with our interns! Happy Wednesday!

Here are a few more images for your viewing pleasure:

As beautiful as the changing weather is, it also reminds us that winter is coming. Winter is a beautiful time of year, but it can also be cold and harsh. This week, we have focused on preparing for the cold. Did you know that on any given night, there are over 300,000 veterans sleeping on the streets? Through an anonymous partner, we are working to supply these men and women with warm blankets, food, cough drops and more. You can learn more about this effort on our website. We would love for you to be involved too! Send us a message on Facebook or give us a call at 434-993-3600. We look forward to hearing from you!