The Christian website Pray.com has launched a campaign that aims to raise money for farmers suffering from the drought in California.
The state of California has struggled with water access in both urban and rural areas. An estimated 85 per cent of residents struggle to get access to water, including farmers across the state. The drought has led state leadership to restrict farm water access, directly impacting the local farming industry.
On Wednesday, Pray.com launched the Pray for Rain campaign, an effort aiming to raise funds and awareness for small family farmers. These smaller communities have not only been afflicted by the drought but their resources have been significantly depleted by the pandemic. Because of all this, Pray.com's leadership is currently organising a fundraising drive to support the Californian non-profit 'Community Alliance with Family Farmers' and provide funding for local farming communities. All donations will go directly to CAFF's Emergency Fund, which is used to help family farms in need. Pray.com intends to match all donations dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000 for all donations made by October 31. 2021.
"At Pray.com, prayer is a priority. In addition to prayer, we take action, and we always seek to support our local community," said Steve Gatena, the CEO of Pray.com, in a press release. "Today, we are launching a massive effort to raise funds to help the hard-working people who grow food for our nation as part of our Pray for Rain campaign."
CAFF is dedicated to "creating more resilient family farms, communities, and ecosystems." The organization has done so since 1978 through educational events, networking and grassroots policy advocacy work.
Pray.com advertises itself as the Number one app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. The company's app is currently used by 10 million people worldwide. They recently launched a partnership with NFL star Drew Brees to create football-related content for the app.