Pastor Arqui Zappata, in the boat, is WCN’s logistics coordinator. Photo provided.

News Release

WARSAW — When Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras in 1998, Warsaw resident Joe Wilkey was at ground zero working with the relief effort.

Out of that experience and with the support of his home church, Warsaw Community Church, Wilkey founded World Compassion Network, a nonprofit disaster relief and missions organization. Wiley continued the efforts in Honduras through annual mission trips to the country, developing further relationships. Two people deeply impacted by the WCN trips were Warsaw residents and WCC members Riley Fuller and Josh Grill. Fuller has gone on to become the founder and president of Humanity and Hope United Foundation and Grill is the director of missions at WCN.

Two men share a meal at one of WCN’s boat food distributions to communities cut off by floodwaters. Photo provided.

Two decades after Hurricane Mitch, Honduras is once again in a state of emergency. Two hurricanes have hit the country in two weeks and a humanitarian crisis is unfolding. H&H, WCC and WCN are partnering to raise awareness and support for the relief efforts.

“For both organizations and our church, this is deeply personal,” said Grill. “Those suffering aren’t just numbers. They represent close personal relationships. They are friends. They are family. WCN is currently focused on meeting people’s basic survival needs in Honduras: food, clothing, water and shelter. For the past two weeks we have successfully sourced and distributed thousands of pounds of food and relief supplies. Floodwaters have cut off many communities and families haven’t eaten for days. We are focused on reaching them by boat, keeping them alive and helping transition into recovery.”

Through generous donations and partnerships, H&H has been able to open four shelters outside of San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The evacuation sites are currently serving 358 people, providing shelter, three meals per day, clean water and medical care. H&H staff have also been actively involved in rescue efforts, working with emergency personnel to help people seek shelter. As part of this effort, Fuller and Drew Scholl, H&H board member, will be traveling to Honduras on Nov. 28 to support and encourage the Honduran team, assess the devastation and continue to bring together organizations and resources to provide continued aid and relief throughout the operation.

“The Honduran public is stepping up in a big way,” said Fuller. “The people are warriors for each other. If we don’t step up, there will be millions of people without a home to go back to in countries that don’t have economic activity in the medium term that can support them.”

Both WCN and H&H are thankful for strong local church support through WCC. Sam Peña is leading the partnership efforts at WCC and has designated a fund and developing a long-term plan for the relief efforts.

“Operation Esperanza (which means ‘hope’ in Spanish) will be a multi-phase, long-term effort to help the people in Honduras not only survive but recover, rebuild and thrive,” said Peña. “Our partners have invested years in multiple communities serving the Honduran people and we want to see that continue. We’re doing what we can here to make people aware of the humanitarian crisis developing in Central America and welcome any organizations or individuals who would like to partner with us.”

For more information or to donate, visit the Operation Esperanza page. Donations can be made online, through WCC’s church app or by sending a check to Warsaw Community Church, 1855 S. County Farm Road, Warsaw IN 46580. Be sure to note “Operation Esperanza” in the memo. Funds raised will be allocated to the most urgent needs of the current phase of the relief, recovery and rebuilding plan.

A view of the flooding.

Recipients of bags of food and supplies gathered for a photo in one of the villages where WCN assisting. Photo provided.

Servers spoon up food at an H&H shelter. Photo provided.