Dear Friends -
This has been quite a year! The pandemic is still around, flu season is off to a strong start, a respiratory virus threatens our youngest children, and war continues in Ukraine. Your messages of encouragement and support, however, have continued to grow, enabling us to bring relief and refreshing to places where we serve the military and their families. Thank you for your commitment and passion to bring healing, health, and hope to the world!
Work providing the basics of food, water, clothing, medicine, shelter and transportation continues in Ukraine. We have introduced a Civilian Safety Program our chaplains use to train others in this work based on small units serving communities cut off from most forms of relief. Small, flexible, highly mobile networks move resources to where they are needed most. Our leadership team in Kyiv coordinating this approach has been very effective, thanks to your continued support.
We are exploring opportunities to collaborate with two other organizations in setting up pre-fabricated housing for the displaced as well as restoring homes made uninhabitable by the conflict. Would you please consider a year-end gift to support this effort? Thank you in advance for your kindness!
In other news our President, Bruce Kittleson, traveled to Poland for a meeting of humanitarian organizations concerned about what is happening all over Europe to displaced people in overflowing refugee camps. It was helpful to learn about other efforts and opportunities to collaborate. Our work in Rwanda continues and it looks like 2023 will be a busy year in the Baltic region for Olive Branch. By the end of this year we will have completed more than 320 humanitarian projects in 45 countries on three continents. Thank you for enabling us to be able to serve those in need!
May your holiday season bring much joy to you and your family from Thanksgiving through Christmas and New Years and into the next year. Thank you again for your partnership!
Sincerely,
Jeff Jernigan, PhD, BCPPC, FAIS
Chairman of the Board
Medical Programs Director.