Help for Haiti

Servants Unite, small as we are, is not an international relief organization. However, as we've been blessed with weekening storms this season, Haiti has been beaten by every one of them. A humanitarian crisis is looming.

Lifeline Christian Mission has a large mission with diverse services in Grand Goave Haiti and their US operation is based right here in Westerville, Ohio.

They are receiving 5 times the usual number of people seeking food and clean water. Unfortunately, they have had to turn people away.

To help alleviate the need, they hope to pack a container this weekend with the supplies in their warehouse to ship out next week. Volunteers may be needed in Westerville when the container arrives. I will let you know when it is there.

They are also asking for additional donations to ship as many containers as they can fill.

My recommendations is if you feel called to help organize donations for this special need they are filling, help organize your church, school group (IB kids :-), service organization, work, whatever to gather only the requested supplies at your meeting place. We can then get the supplies to Lifeline in bulk rather than several hundred people dropping off a case of water each.

Servants Unite will organize pickup of these supplies from your location and deliver them to Lifeline if you need assistance with that part of it.

If you wish to work with Lifeline directly, go for it. The contact at the office who will be handling supplies is Dana Krahel, Volunteer Coordinator. They are at 184 Olde County Line Road, Westerville, Ohio 43081. Phone: 614-794-0108.

Here's the plea letter we received this week:
We ARE having a Non Perishable Food Drive in Ohio and one in Indiana and hope to get an entire container of food ready to ship in about 1 month (we already have some food on the way now to Haiti for a stop-gap measure and we’ll buy what we have to buy, Lord willing!):

• Canned and foil packaged meats and meals
  
• Dried beans, peas
  
• Rice
  
• Pastas of all types
  
• Canned vegetables
  
• Soups
  
• Canned meals such as Spaghetti-O’s, etc.
  
• Bottle Water
  
• Peanut butter
  

When making a choice the lighter the weight the more we can get on the container

At this time we are NOT requesting clothing or shoes; only food.

We have put out a plea for funds but are also preparing a flyer to be sent to our churches asking for these items. We will receive them and send them on regular schedule containers too, as long as they keep coming in. We ship at a minimum once a quarter from our warehouse.

Thank you again and pray with us that in all of this loss that people will turn to Christ and know that He is the answer!

God bless you and tell everyone at Westerville “thank you”!
Bob and Gretchen