Coronavirus Updates & FAQs
This page contains the most recent updates on COVID-19 and how it affects the operations of Metro World Child.
Please stay updated through this page.
| FAQs | UPDATES | GIVE |
| Sponsor Child Update - By Country |
MAY 7, 2020
Metro World Child & Dream Center NYC - What Remains Initiative
APRIL 15, 2020
We are currently accepting donations that will be a part of our food distribution drives. If interested or to find out more, please refer to our recommended list of donations here.
MARCH 29,2020
Help Metro stay on the field!
LETTER FROM PASTOR BILL WILSON
MARCH 23, 2020
Dear friends,
Thank you for your prayers, I’m home in New York! With all that’s going on globally with COVID-19, all of us here truly appreciate your prayers, support and encouragement you continue to show to the children, the staff, the ministry and to me personally.
I wanted to be sure you know what’s going on at Metro World Child and how we are handling this latest hurdle, and I wanted you to hear it directly from me.
This is a critical time for us all. Reports from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the local health care systems are being monitored constantly at all of our Sunday School locations around the world. It’s crucial that we are on the same page.
I know you all realize how important consistency and stability are in the lives of the kids and families we minister to. You also know when situations happen like what we all are experiencing now, we cannot drop the ball on this. There are over 250,000 kids every week depending on you and me; all of us. Now, more than ever, we need to bring the hope of Christ to the children we serve.
The methods may change but the message NEVER will. To comply with Government-issued regulations, we are modifying ways to continue to be effective as a ministry while operating on solid information. We are seeking God for guidance on how best to continue to advance the Kingdom as so many ministries around the world have backed off, some have even ceased to exist, please be assured that we remain committed in serving our MWC children by whatever means necessary. It will be a time of flexibility, creativity and innovation as we explore new ways to reach children with the Gospel.
What does all this mean?
- Metro World Child will place the health and safety of the children and communities we serve, as well as that of our staff and volunteers, at the top of the list!
- The methods in which we conduct our programs will be adjusted and functioning but will stay in compliance with Government-issued regulations and recommendations.
- Our ministry programs have not been shut down. Our teams around the world continue to excel in serving the children in a personal way, within parameters mandated to us. We are still developing and conducting Sunday School programs, building Sunday School trucks, writing curriculum and training interns. On top of that, we will serve the communities we are in by supporting the local authorities’ initiatives wherever we can just as we did for nearly a year after 9/11 here in New York.
- In parts of the world where there are heavier restrictions by local authorities, we are making necessary adjustments to ensure that our staff are able to be active, the Gospel communicated, and families are reached and served.
- As always, if there be emergency needs among our sponsored children, MWC will, with the combined efforts of our sponsors all over the world, meet those needs.
- MWC has set up a call center specifically for the children and families we serve, to provide prayer and support through this time and keep everyone connected.
- As a partner of MWC, please know that we care for you and your wellbeing is important to us. We will be calling you, praying for and with you. That really is the power of partnership! Please feel free to email us at info@metroworldchild.org or call us at +1 718-453-3352 or your local office.
As I spoke to our entire worldwide staff last week, in John 20:19 we see the disciples gathered together in the house after the death of Jesus. Fear had overtaken them. The doors were shut and locked. Nobody was supposed to come in; they were trying to figure out what to do. Then, in the middle of their fear and doubt, Jesus appeared in His resurrected body. He came and stood ‘in their midst’. His first words? “Peace be unto you.” He spoke peace. Why? Because peace is what they needed at that moment!
Like the disciples, people everywhere need to hear one thing: Peace! So I share that with you today as well.
We are doing everything possible to bring and communicate peace to the kids and their families; I pray you will take that mandate as well. Continue to pray for us as we commit to carry His peace to those we’ve committed to.
I’ve been at this now for over 50 years. Robert Schuller once said something to me I’ll never forget, “Tough times don’t last. But tough people do.” I think here at Metro World Child we’ve cornered the market on having some of the toughest people in the world. They have made the decision to do whatever it takes to make a difference in the lives of those who need the peace and joy of Christ in their hearts. You all have made that possible for us to combine the strengths and anointing to carry peace to some places where it literally does not exist.
Together, through this power of partnership, we face today’s challenge head-on. We might have to do it differently, in different places, but we’ll get it done no matter what. In Jesus’ name!
Stay safe, and “Peace be unto you.”
Pastor Bill Wilson
Founder and Senior Pastor
Metro World Child
SPONSOR CHILD UPDATES - BY COUNTRY
UPDATED MAY 6, 2020
UNITED STATES
There is a temporary pause in regular Sunday School activities until authorities reduce restrictions on the New York PAUSE that is in place.
In the meantime, the Sunday School team is sharing the Gospel through different platforms like Youtube and Instagram and providing a range of activities like Sunday Church service, weekly Bible lessons, memory verses, fun games and crafts and more.
A call center has also been set up at Headquarters so that every Metro child and family has access to support and can contact us directly whenever they need. Sunday School captains are in touch with the children at least once a week over voice/video call.
Our mobile food pantry, which has been in place since April, also includes food deliveries to families enrolled in our Sunday School program.
KENYA
There is a temporary pause in regular Sunday School activities until authorities reopen the schools. We will resume regular programming once we get the green light from the government.
In the meantime, the team is facilitating food deliveries to sponsored children and their families
There are limitations to gift delivery at present but the most present need at the moment is for food bundles. They will be delivered to sponsored children as the orders come in.
Kenya camp is planned for December and after this time of lockdown, more important than ever for our children.
THE PHILIPPINES
There is a temporary pause in regular Sunday School activities until authorities loosen the lockdown. We will resume regular programming once we get the green light from the government.
In the meantime, the team is doing their best to reach out to your sponsor child and help with their biggest need as much as possible.
The biggest need for gift options at the moment are food bundles which are delivered as the team finds ways to facilitate it.
Educational assistance such as book bags, school uniforms and scholarships are still crucial as most families won’t have money to spend on it once schools are back open.
Camp Philippines is in full planning and we are prepared to conduct it in the third or last quarter of the year.
INDIA
There is a temporary pause in regular Sunday School activities until authorities reopen society. India has been under a complete lockdown. We will resume regular programming once we get the green light from the government.
In the meantime, the team is providing assistance to sponsored children where possible.
Gift delivery has been paused at present but they will be crucial and very much needed once the lockdown loosens in India.
SOUTH AFRICA
There is a temporary pause in regular Sunday School activities until authorities reopen the schools. We will resume regular programming once we get the green light from the government.
In the meantime, the team is constantly looking for ways to provide assistance to sponsored children where possible.
Gift delivery has been paused at present but they will be crucial and very much needed once the lockdown loosens in South Africa.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
UPDATED JULY 5, 2020
Have you stopped your ministry operations?
No, we are still operating full time. Our teams around the world continue to excel in serving the children in a personal way, within parameters mandated to us. We are still developing and conducting Sunday School programs, building Sunday School trucks, writing curriculum and training interns. On top of that, we will serve the communities we are in by supporting the local authorities’ initiatives wherever we can just as we did for nearly a year after 9/11 here in New York.
How are you conducting the program?
We are modifying the methods in which we conduct our programs and we will stay in compliance with Government-issued regulations and recommendations. We are preparing online material and online/mobile Sunday School services that we can provide to the Metro children around the world.
What happens to my monthly sponsorship?
There is no change to your monthly sponsorship. All payments you make will go towards the work of the ministry as per normal as we are not ceasing operations. We will adjust how we can share the Gospel with the children and families so as to fulfil what we are committed to do while respecting Government regulations.
Why has my gift to my child not been delivered yet?
Due to the different restrictions in each city/country, there might be limitations in terms of travel and face-to-face contact due to quarantines or social distancing. We seek your understanding if there are delays in this process. Please be assured that your gift will be delivered to your sponsored child as soon as we are able.
You will receive a thank you note that may have been written by the staff member overseeing your sponsored child's area. In order to comply with our city’s regulations on social distancing.
Who can I contact to ask about my Won-By-One sponsorship?
Please contact your local office (information can be found in your sponsorship pack) or email us at wonbyone@metroworldchild.org.
How are you assisting in your community?
We have communicated our availability to providing needed essential services (testing site, transportation, feeding space, triage space in case of dire emergency) to the local officials and disaster relief groups and will be ready to serve where necessary.
You might have read in the news, New York has almost half of the COVID cases in the United States with over 1,500 deaths. As of March 29, 2020, MWC has partnered with the Food Bank For New York City as a Community Response Partner. This means that we are mobilizing our staff and using our facilities to serve as a distribution center for food and other necessities to the community in NYC.
As of July 5, 2020, we have served 322,722 people in NYC through our emergency food distribution. A total of 488,390 meals and 54,147 food boxes were provided to the communities throughout NYC.
How’s my International sponsor child
Are you still conducting Summer Camp?
1) In-person camp (Kenya and the Philippines)
We are fully planning and preparing for Summer Camp 2020 in Kenya and the Philippines. We believe that with this pandemic, once we get the clearance to conduct camp, this will be the most important camp ever! More than ever, the kids need to experience the peace of Jesus and have the opportunity to draw closer to God. We will keep you updated about Summer Camp as things develop.
Please be assured that we will adhere to all local government guidelines to ensure the safety of the children and staff and we will adjust our camp dates according to those instructions. If you would like to sign your PH/KE child up for day-camp, you can still do so online or through your local office. The cost is USD$85 per child and includes a full day of camp activities and 3 square meals!
2) Virtual camp (USA)
To adhere to safety regulations in New York, the ministry will conduct US camp virtually this summer! We believe that despite the restrictions, we can still provide a quality camp experience for every child enrolled in Metro World Child Summer Camp that will still feel personal and bring the message of Christ into every home.
The cost of virtual camp will be USD$150.
In addition to 3 days of fun and exciting camp activities, each camper will receive a Camp Experience Kit, as well as meal vouchers for each day at virtual camp, and a box of groceries for his/her family!
Sponsors who have already paid for your child to attend camp, please contact your local office for more assistance on how to apply the balance of your original payment.
Why am I not receiving physical receipts anymore?
During this time, we would like to do our part to help reduce the workload for USPS and any other carrier companies. Also, due to mandated Government regulations, we also have to adjust our operations and that will also cause an additional delay in any mail. We still provide the e-version of the receipts for anyone who has an email address on file. If you would like to ensure that we have the correct email address, please let me know what your email address is and we will ensure it is updated.
How can we pray for you (Metro)?
Please pray for divine wisdom as we make modifications to our program to ensure that we still do what we’re committed to do – bring the Gospel to these kids. Things might look different but as we’ve done over the last 40 years, no matter what happens, we’re going to make it work.
Why do you need to raise additional funds for relief work? What do you do with your existing Sunday School funds?
While relief work is happening, it is not the only thing we are doing as an organization. Sunday School related work is still being done behind the scenes and continues to require funding and manpower - for e.g. Creating new online content for the outreach, writing Sunday School curriculum, reaching out to families, building SS trucks etc. Once we are given the approval to resume Sunday School activities, we need to have the ability to be fully functional immediately.
How can I help?
Should you feel led to help at this time, any gift you make towards our General Fund will be used where it is most needed.