George Mealer, Director of Programs of Bless the Children in Honduras was born January 18, 1942 in Honduras to an American father and Honduran mother. Some years later his family moved to the United States and where he attended high school in Mississippi. With a degree in Human Resources Management he was later drafted into the US Army in 1965.
There he was schooled in Infantry and had assignments in France and Germany. George served two tours in Viet Nam as part of the 25th Infantry, 1966 and 1967-68; he received direct Commission in 1967, rifted E-8, and 193d Infantry Brigade Canal Zone. For 2 years prior to Vietnam he served as Drill Instructor in Fort Polk La. His state-side assignments included Fort Benning, Fort Pol, Fort Raigly, Fort Ord, Fort Hood, Fort Lee and Fort Eustis. He retired as Master Sergeant E- 8. His military recognitions included the Bronze Star and many others. He continued his service as a civilian in total quality management at the Defense General Supply Center in Richmond, VA where he received the highest award for Civil Service Employee.
Outside of his working careers he started a Youth Soccer league which now hosts over 1000 young players in Chesterfield County, Virginia. He coached a travel soccer team of all ages for 15 years and worked with teens in drug rehabilitation program called STRAIGHT in Hampton Roads, Virginia for 5 years. He was the founder and president of a Spanish Club in DGSC Virginia and the Founder of PRONINO, a foundation for the rehabilitation of drug-addicted street children in El Progreso, Honduras in 1999. He ha worked extensively with the Prison System towards bettered health and education for the inmates. He has taught seminars on Total Quality subjects at Community Colleges and to Community leaders. He is a Rotarian and received the Paul Harris award in 2004.
George is currently the director of Bless the Children programs in Honduras and has held this position as a volunteer for over 14 years.
Bless the Children Honduras started when Karen Hubbard, founder, and George Mealer were introduced by friends in Richmond, Virginia in the summer of 1995. At the time, Bless the Children had been actively helping orphans and poor children in Eastern Europe and Russia since 1991. George, who was retired from the US Army and soon to retire from civil service, was planning to retire with his wife Elizabeth to the town of their youth, El Progreso, Honduras.
George had been helping the children of El Progreso for some time by collecting soccer balls, shoes and uniforms donated by teams of the Pocoshock soccer league which he helped establish. On the weekends, George collected children’s clothing and shoes from local yard sales. As retired military, he was able to catch military air hops to Honduras and distribute the items to schools and orphanages.
Karen was actively managing the collection and shipment of 40 ft. sea container loads of medical equipment and supplies and other much-needed material aid to hospitals and orphanages in the former republics of the USSR.
With Karen and George working together, Bless the Children Honduras began by shipping 40 ft. sea containers of medical equipment and supplies, shoes, clothing and other needful material aid to the hospital in El Progreso, Honduras. George flew back and forth to Honduras on military air hops overseeing the distribution of the aid.
After thirty years in the United States and after much planning, George and Betty Mealer left Richmond in October, 1998 to start their retirement in Honduras. Within three days of their return to Honduras, Hurricane Mitch struck the country, killing hundreds and leaving countless others homeless. A boat Bless the Children shipped to Honduras for George to teach poor children to fish had its maiden voyage as a rescue vehicle in the muddy rivers running through the streets of El Progreso - over 1000 lives were saved.
Prior to Hurricane Mitch, Honduras was a very poor country. In the aftermath the country was devastated. Homes, bridges, crops, the infrastructure and especially any security for the poor were destroyed. Thus began Bless the Children’s programs on the ground in Honduras to help restore hope to the poor people of El Progreso and communities throughout the north of the country led by George and Betty Mealer. By means of a strong working team comprised of the Mealers, Karen and countless volunteers in Honduras and the US much has been accomplished to help the poor.
Many humanitarian programs have been established over time including Pro Niño, a center for children abandoned in the streets. George masterminded the development and building of two large centers with dormitories, cafeterias, schools, soccer fields, a farm and a chapel. He worked closely with the courts on behalf of he children. He was able to initially save over 100 children from the brutality on the streets of Honduras. That number grew through the years. These children who had no hope received a good education, many graduating high school with honors. Bless the Children helped the Mealer’s establish Pro Niño through material aid shipments, later with funding and with building a new road at the La Montaña center. This center is now a government-managed facility.
By assisting the poor in health, education, and nutrition and supporting them with shipments of material aid from the USA, George Mealer and Bless the Children established over twenty ongoing programs to assist devastated areas throughout the north of Honduras.
Our programs in Honduras have been made stronger by a tremendous co-mingling of retired military servicemen and women. Together with John Grove we built the high school high in the Mico Quemado Mountains to serve children who had no access to education beyond the 6th grade. Over 50 children have graduated from this three room high school since the school was built. Trade school scholarships were given to 15 students who have graduated from computer tech school, cosmetology school, nursing training and one young man just graduated college in November.
George’s background in military and civil service, as well as his heart of gold and hard work make him a true leader and hero to the poor in Honduras. In Honduras we enjoy great logistical and security support from the Honduran Air Force. And here in the United States, the beloved Air Commando Association, its members and its humanitarian arm, the McCoskrie Threshold Foundation provide financial, humanitarian aid and moral support, as well as the great gift of friendship.
Together we are providing true help to so many in this country down range and the people we serve have great respect for the United States as a result. They see us as those who offer hope and who are willing to do what it takes to help rescue children from poverty with healthcare, nutritional and educational support.
We are grateful beyond measure for Mr. George A. Mealer, now a proud honorary member of the Air Commando Association, for his dedication to making such a positive impact on the lives of innumerable children and their families. It is impossible to know how far one ripple will go when a stone is cast into the waters but every act of kindness has the power to flow outward and outward touching many in its path. George’s life has been dedicated to such and the world is a better place as a result.
George can’t do it by himself and he needs your help in Honduras. While many of us are working hard as a team to support the John Grove High School, it is George who is managing every little detail and there are many. We can’t let him down. Funding is needed. The budget is $1,850 a month. Approximately $750 a month is coming in from Air Commandos. Many people donated in the first two years after John passed away so we had a surplus fund to ensure the school stays open. Those funds are dwindling down. The school will close this year if more people don’t sign up to help support it. Please help George keep the high school open by starting a monthly donation today at www.blessthechildreninc.org or send a check to Bless the Children, the John Grove Memorial Fund 411 Cleveland St. # 195 Clearwater, FL 33755. We can continue to serve only with the support of our donors.
With love and wishes for a blessed holiday season!
Rebecca Smith
Bless the Children