KANSAS CITY, MO — In coordination with the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and child welfare workers across the country, CarePortal connecting the needs of families with local churches and community members willing to help, launches a COVID-19 Disaster Relief platform. Through this new initiative, local churches across the nation will soon be able to serve at-risk children and families suffering from COVID-19 related crises in their local communities.

Since 2015, more than 175 child welfare agencies, 2,000+ churches, and thousands of individuals and businesses across 21 states have used CarePortal to serve more than 58,000 children in the U.S. Child Welfare system. It is CarePortal’s mission to forge a connection between people in crisis with churches and people who want to help. COVID-19 is disrupting life and increasing the pain felt by at-risk families. The most vulnerable in our communities need help now more than ever before. CarePortal, a proven online connecting platform, allows neighbors to help neighbors in times like this.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, in partnership with Angel Armies, founded by Chris and Lauren Tomlin, CarePortal expedited the development of a Disaster Relief platform. This platform is set to launch on Good Friday, April 10, with a goal to serve 10,000+ activated churches across the country.

There will be three specific needs at the bullseye of this crisis that can be presented by requesting agencies and met by local churches through the CarePortal Disaster Relief platform:

1. Support an Emergency Worker
2. Alleviate Food/Essentials Insecurity
3. Stabilize Housing Insecurity

“We believe that through the Church, and its 350,000+ local congregations, there will be an overwhelming counter-surge of care,” said Joe Knittig, CEO of The Global Orphan Project. “We have prepared a CarePortal Disaster Relief platform and our team in expectation of such an imminent movement.”

Here is how it works: an enrolled agency representative signs into careportal.org and shares a COVID-19 generated need. Common requests involve food insecurity, housing insecurity, utility bills, and essentials for babies. Using geo-radius technology, CarePortal instantly distributes the request to nearby churches who sign up to serve families in crisis. The responding church will then work with the agency worker to provide what is needed, and build relationships in the process.

Individuals, churches and agencies interested in helping the most vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic, please visit careportal.org.

About CarePortal

CarePortal is a platform launched in March 2015 by The Global Orphan Project, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo. CarePortal brings faith and government entities together by utilizing a volunteer network and innovative technology to bring the needs of children and families in crisis to the attention of local churches. Agency workers uncover the needs. CarePortal makes local churches aware, giving them a real-time opportunity to respond. Currently active in 21 states in the U.S., more than 2,300 churches have served over 58,000 children and counting. See CarePortal’s live impact report at careportal.org/impact.

CONTACT: Jon Cassat, 816-536-8333

Read more news on Disaster Relief and the Coronavirus Outbreak on Missions Box.

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