COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- 12/20/07 --
Rebecca St. James, a long-time
spokesperson and advocate for
Compassion International
who has been named "Favorite Female Artist" by CCM Magazine for the seventh
consecutive year, will host Compassion's newest half-hour radio special,
"Malaria: A Plague of the Poor."
The Grammy award-winning Christian artist, who was also voted "Best Female
Artist of 2007" by ChristianityToday.com for the fifth consecutive year, is
working with Compassion to release the program on April 25, 2008, World
Malaria Day, as designated by the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership.
Compassion's radio special will feature stories of African families
affected by the disease, which kills one million people each year.
"Rebecca St. James is one of the most committed and talented Christian
women that I know, and I am so proud of her and her accomplishments," said
Dr. Wess Stafford, president of Compassion International. "Compassion is
very fortunate to have someone as gifted and dedicated as her to serve as a
voice for the poor. Rebecca is one of Compassion's staunchest advocates for
children in poverty and I have no doubt she will deliver a message of
urgency and hope through Compassion's malaria radio special."
St. James has been a passionate spokesperson for Compassion International
for more than a decade. Her work has led to the sponsorship of more than
30,000 of the world's neediest children.
Having performed in more than 30 countries, St. James highlights the work
of Compassion during each of her concerts. In fact, her song "Beautiful
Stranger" was inspired by her work with Compassion.
After a trip in 2006 to Rwanda to visit her sponsored child, Sam, St. James
said, "I saw first-hand once again how funds donated to Compassion are
actually reaching and being utilized for good in making a
profound difference in the lives of children. It was a powerful experience
for me to see the work of Compassion in action and how children are
actually being so benefited in everyday life."
On the same trip, she visited a horrific slum in Kenya "that represented
the most intense poverty imaginable. In the middle of the desolation,
Compassion workers have built a project -- a school filled with wonderfully
joyful children who are being given love and hope and the message of
Jesus."
Compassion is one of the world's largest Christian child-development
organizations, working with more than 65 denominations and more than 4,000
indigenous church partners. It serves more than 900,000 children in Africa,
Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Since 1952, Compassion has touched the lives of more than 1.6 million
children and has been recognized for its financial integrity with top
ratings and recommendations by several of the nation's leading
not-for-profit "watchdog" organizations.
For information on how to sponsor a
child, visit Compassion online at www.compassion.com or call (800)
336-7676, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For further information on Rebecca St. James, please call
Jackie Monaghan/Morningstar PR.
Phone: 615.646.5990. Email: morningstarpr@comcast.net
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steve Yount
(972) 267-1111
Email Contact
Julie Koshy
(719) 487-6290
Email Contact
