A new online portal will help children and families in crisis because of the COVID-19 pandemic more easily get help from local churches.
When human services agencies who enroll on the CarePortal hear from someone who needs help, they can log on to the portal and post the relevant information about that need, and churches in the immediate area with the ability to help can do so.
CarePortal is a platform that the Kansas City-based Global Orphan Project launched in March 2015 to bring faith and government entities together through a volunteer network to address family needs. Currently active in 21 states, the portal’s 2,300 churches have served more than 58,000 children.
According to a blog post on Health Care Facilities Today, the portal’s new initiative will soon be able to serve at-risk children and families suffering from COVID-19 related crises in their local communities with the apparent blessing of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is not clear from the release what role HHS will play in the initiative, which is described as a COVID-19 disaster relief program.
The platform launched on Good Friday, April 10, in partnership with Angel Armies. The goal is to serve more than 10,000 activated churches across the country.
The plan is to serve three specific needs: support emergency workers, provide food and other life essentials, and help find stable housing.
Responding churches will then work with local agency workers to provide what is needed, and build relationships in the process.