Olivia Osteen, niece of famed pastor Joel Osteen, has joined forces with Disney star Jake Short to bring national awareness to children suffering from hunger in the U.S. through the Blessings in a Backpack campaign.

The two young advocates have recently been featured in a public service announcement (PSA) to promote the nonprofit organization, which works to fight hunger in elementary schools nationwide by supplying children on the federal Free and Reduced Price Meal Program "with a backpack of food to take home for 38 weekends during the school year," according to the nonprofit's website.

Short, who is the star of Disney Channel's comedy A.N.T. Farm, and Osteen, an aspiring actress who serves as a young Christian role model, implore viewers to contribute to Blesssings in a Backpack in their recent PSA announcement, which was produced by Sound Tree Entertainment's Gregory James Blount. more >>

Christian leaders in the U.S. responded quickly to the bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon on Monday that left at least 3 dead and more than 130 injured, by sharing their own grief over what is being called a terrorist attack, and calling for prayer.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4)," wrote Pastor David Fairchild, who leads Mars Hill West Seattle Church, in a blog post on the church's website shortly after the bombings.

"I am deeply grieved by the early reports of two blasts occurring at the finish line of the Boston Marathon," Fairchild stated. "Sadly, in a split second, people and families have been shattered and forever changed by this terrible tragedy. more >>

As tornado season begins in the United States, a major Christian humanitarian organization is providing families with a downloadable guide about disaster preparation.

Operation Blessing International announced Monday that they would be providing a free booklet known as the "7-Day Family Disaster Planning Guide."

"Historically, March marks the beginning of the peak tornado season in the USA. However, due to much colder temperatures than normal this winter, there were only 17 tornadoes in the month of March, the lowest in 35 years," says OBI. more >>

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has decided to send $3.1 million to several projects connected to the Church in Latin America.

According to Catholic World News, the USCCB's Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America has granted the money to 132 different projects based in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Bishop Eusebio L. Elizondo, M.Sp.S, auxiliary bishop of Seattle and chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee, said in a statement that the projects focused on helping the less fortunate. more >>

The Millennium Development Goals started as an ambitious plan aiming to put an end to the global struggles related to poverty, hunger and social injustice, but with 1000 days left until the goals' stated deadline, there is still a great deal of work to do.

The Millennium Development Goals were created in 2000 when 189 countries signed a declaration to halve global poverty by 2015.

Participating nations promised to "spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are currently subjected," the United Nations' Millennium Declaration stated. more >>

New reports stemming from Central Africa indicate that a global partner to the HCJB Christian radio station has suffered nearly $300,000 in damages as a result of last week's Central African Republic Coup, which resulted in the March 24 ousting of President Francois Bozize and the self-appointment of rebel leader Michel Djotodia as president.

Additionally, one of the employees at the radio station lost their son in the coup chaos that ensued last week near the Integrated Community Development International building, a partner of the HCJB Global radio station.

"We mourn with this family who has suffered bitter grief," Wayne Pederson, president and CEO of HCJB Global, said in a statement emailed to The Christian Post. more >>