Mission Central

Over the weekend, a missions team from our church went to one of the most amazing places on the East Coast: Mission Central.  Mission Central is this amazing warehouse that houses the tools for outreach and missions.  In addition to the food bank, VIM warehouse, computer ministry, and medical tech mission, they are also a depot for the United Methodist Committee on Relief.  (UMCOR).  Whenever a disaster strikes anywhere in the world, UMCOR is there, with supplies to help the survivors clean up and get their lives back in order.  

Among the many things that UMCOR collects to distribute are School Kits, Safe Birthing Kits, Flood Buckets, and Health Kits.

UMCOR depots are located throughout the United States.  The supplies are always at the ready, so that when a disaster strikes, supplies are able to be shipped out within hours of the disaster to the people who need it the most.

After Hurricane Sandy, the depots on the East Coast were emptied, and trucks full of supplies were on standby, ready for the all clear to sound so that they could venture into the flood areas with relief supplies for the homeowners.  The flood buckets were full of trash bags, dust masks, clothespins, clotheslines, and cleaning supplies to help homeowners clean out their homes.  In the days after Sandy, UMCOR volunteers were out knocking on doors, handing homeowners these buckets.

On Saturday, we spent the day unpacking shipments of Health Kits that had been sent in from around the country.  Each kit contains a toothbrush, nail clippers, comb, soap, band aids, a hand towel and a washcloth.  We checked each kit to make certain that all of the materials were present, and then repacked them into standard size shipping boxes, with each box containing the same number of kits.

Once we finished checking the boxes, we packed new kits.  Lots and lots of new kits.  We lost count around 500 kits.  

I don't know where everything that we packed will end up, but I know that they will be shipped out.  We'd like to think there's no need for disaster relief, but sadly, we all know that disaster will strike somewhere.  And in the wake of the disaster, UMCOR and other relief organizations (Red Cross, Church of the Bretheren, Catholic Charities, etc.) Will be there, to help people recover.  And thanks to the individuals who constantly stock and restock the shelves, they will be on the scene with supplies as soon as possible.

It was a great way to spend a Saturday!

Boxes of items needed for the Health Kits

One of the many boxes of health kits we unpacked.  Look at all of those stamps!

Loads and Loads of Laundry.  They had a huge donation of towels from a retailer.  We pulled the tags off and ran them through the dryer - they need to be as dry as possible so that no mold will set into the kits while they are sitting in storage.

To find out more about Mission Central, click here: http://missioncentral.org/

To find out more about The United Methodist Committee on Relief, and the kits that are collected for emergency relief, click here:  http://missioncentral.org/

Disclosure Notice: UMCOR is one of several faith based relief organizations in the United States.  I am a United Methodist, so I will highlight the efforts of the United Methodist Church.  If you'd like to comment about the efforts of other faith based relief organizations, please do!