One of the world’s largest Christian children charities is spotlighting the need to support poor children today on Compassion Sunday.

Each year, Compassion International dedicates a Sunday for its sponsors and church pastors nationwide to challenge their congregations to help meet the needs of poor children around the world. Last year, nearly 21,000 children found sponsors through Compassion Sunday. This year the goal is 22,000.

“We desire to see a great moving of God’s spirit across this land as presentations are made and people step forward to reach out to children in need,” said Mark Hanlon, Compassion’s senior vice president for U.S. Sponsor and Donor Development.

According to UNICEF, one billion of the 2.2 billion children on the planet live in poverty, often lacking adequate food, shelter, water and health care. Compassion, with more than 1 million children participating in its program in 24 countries, works through local churches worldwide to help lift these children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

The Compassion sponsorship program costs $32 a month and gives the child opportunities in education, health care, nutrition and life skills, as well as a chance to learn about Jesus.

Since 1952, Compassion has reached more than 1.8 million children and works with more than 65 denominations and 4,500 indigenous church partners in Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean.