Operation Blessing International
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Founded on November 14, 1978, the Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation (OBI) is a non-profit humanitarian organization based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is ostensibly dedicated to alleviating human need and suffering in the United States and around the world. Since inception, OBI has helped more than 155 million people in 96 countries and all 50 states as well as distributed goods valued at more than $500 million.
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History
OBI came together under the guidance and leadership of televangelist Pat Robertson. The corporation was set up to help struggling individuals and families with donated items from viewers of The 700 Club, Robertson's daily television program. Operation Blessing has supplied humanitarian relief after many disasters, including Hurricane Andrew and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Bill Horan is the current president and Chief Operating Officer.
Diamond mining scandal
An Operation Blessing airplane was reportedlyTemplate:Ref being used for Pat Robertson's personal mining venture. In 1997, two of Operation Blessing's pilots, Robert Hinkle and Tahir Brohi, told the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper that Operation Blessing planes were diverted to support Pat Robertson's diamond mining ventures instead of doing relief work in Zaire. Even though Robertson reimbursed Operation Blessing for the use of these planes, some have criticized the organization for allowing the use of resources by a for-profit venture. A Robertson spokesperson said that the planes used were unsuitable for relief work. No charges were ever filed in the matter.
Hurricane Katrina involvement
Operation Blessing provided large amounts of food and other donationsTemplate:Ref to people affected by Hurricane Katrina.
From at least September 2, 2005, to September 4, 2005, the Federal Emergency Management Agency directed web site visitors to many sites for donations, with Operation Blessing listed third, after America's Second Harvest and The Red Cross.Template:Ref Then, FEMA replaced the links with a single link to nvoad.org. Leaders of other charity and relief organizations have estimated that this linking has enriched Operation Blessing by "tens of millions of dollars". Many have questioned this high profile linking to Operation Blessing, in light of the organization's close affiliation with Pat Robertson, who weeks previously had been a center of controversy since his plea for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.[1]
Former Entertainment Tonight host, New Age/Christian musician and syndicated radio host John Tesh is directing contributions towards Operation Blessing from his site TeshRadioRelief.com. He is calling in to his own show, as well as Pat Robertson's shows on CBN, giving on-the-ground coverage of Operation Blessing's efforts in the Katrina-ravaged Gulf States region.[2]
Large amounts given to Pat Robertsons TV Operation
Excerpt: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/343712p-293471c.html
Investigators concluded that Operation Blessing "willfully induced contributions from the public through the use of misleading statements ..."
After the investigation began, Robertson placated state regulators by personally reimbursing his own charity $400,000 and by agreeing to tighten its bookkeeping methods.
Separating Operation Blessing from Robertson's many politically oriented endeavors is not that easy, however.
The biggest single U.S. recipient of Operation Blessing, according to its latest financial report, was Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network. It received $885,000 in the fiscal year ended March 2004.
Operation Blessing, with a budget of $190 million, is an integral part of the Robertson empire. Not only is he the chairman of the board, his wife is listed on its latest financial report as its vice president, and one of his sons is on the board of directors.
References
1. ABC News: Some Question Robertson's Katrina Charity ... Operation Blessing Is Second on FEMA's List for Donations for Hurricane Victims. This Operation Blessing plane delivered aid to Africa in a past crisis. ... http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1112518&page=1
2. ABC News: Some Question Robertson's Katrina Charity
... According to its most recent filing with the Internal Revenue Service, Operation Blessing gave more than half of its yearly allocation of cash donations ...
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1112518&page=2
3. ABC News: Grim Accounting
... Controversy Surrounding Operation Blessing (2:59); Interview With Colin Powell (1:48); Person of the Week: Mark Sloan (3:55) « Go back to main archive page.
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/videoHighlight?id=1108956
