- Needs of children will be priority in World Vision's immediate response and long-term recovery assistance
- Text donation campaign: Text "GIVEUSA" to 777444 to make a $10 donation to World Vision's disaster response

NEW YORK, Nov 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ ---- With this weekend's New York City marathon now canceled due to significant storm damage from Monday's Superstorm Sandy, many marathoners are choosing to use this weekend in the city making themselves available to volunteer to help aid organizations with disaster relief efforts. At the World Vision field site in the Bronx today, sixteen marathoners from Team World Vision assembled hundreds of emergency food kits for Sandy survivors. The 300 food kits each contain enough food to feed a family of 5 for a day. On Sunday, rather than running, marathoners are also invited to spend what would have been "race day" using their hands instead of their feet for a good cause and will join World Vision's response team at a food distribution in Staten Island, an area severely impacted by the storm this week.

Team World Vision, a fundraising arm for the international Christian charity World Vision, began in 2005 with just 95 runners at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Since its start, team members have raised over $5 million for clean water projects. In 2011, over 6,000 team members ran to raise money to help continue to provide clean water in Africa and Haiti.

"It's making me feel very happy and pleased that I can do something" said Tim Fearn-Wannan, who traveled from Melbourne, Australia to run for Team World Vision.  "I could have sat in the hotel room. I could have gone sight-seeing, and probably would have still felt pretty empty. But this is a good feeling that there are people out there in a pretty bad situation at the moment and we're doing our small part to help out with that."

World Vision lost hundreds of relief supplies this week during Hurricane Sandy when water flooded the organization's Bronx site destroying hundreds of pre-positioned emergency kits.

"World Vision lost nearly a third of our relief supplies that were ready to be distributed here in New York City," said Phyllis Freeman, World Vision's Domestic Disaster Director. "Yet, it has been so encouraging to see our Team World Vision runners so willingly volunteer to help us get back on our feet so we can still respond. I know they must be disappointed that they can't run but we definitely need their help."

World Vision has been working in the New York area since just after September 11, 2001. Just last year, approximately 475,000 people benefitted from the Christian organization's services.  In 2005, World Vision responded to Hurricane Katrina by providing $8.2 million in goods to more than 318,000 survivors. Already this year, World Vision has used its National Disaster Headquarters in North Texas to respond to Hurricane Isaac along the Gulf Coast, launch a nearby Texas tornado response in April and deploy a wildfire response in Oklahoma.

The public can help by visiting www.worldvision.org/americanfamilies or by texting "GIVEUSA" to 777444 to make a $10 donation to World Vision's disaster response.

ABOUT WORLD VISION:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision's United States Programs is committed to transform communities, promote justice, and relieve suffering in the U.S. where poverty is prevalent by empowering children and youth, increasing the capacity of individuals, families, churches, and other organizations, and unleashing the assets of our partners. Visit World Vision's U.S. Programs at:   www.worldvision.org/usprograms. For more information please visit www.worldvision.org/press.  Or follow them on their Twitter site at @worldvisionnews.

SOURCE World Vision U.S.