UPDATED January 25, 1997
The year 1996 ended with our shipping five containers totalling seventy tons of life-sustaing humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Twenty tons went to aid children of Chornobyl victims in Chernihiv while fifty tons went to Mission Nazareth in Khust. Much of that aid will be used to help the refugees from Tajikistan who will be moving to Khust and then resettled in other parts of Ukraine.
We want to thank everyone who CONTRIBUTED so generously towards these efforts. The value of aid shipped totals over $800,000! This was done with $25,000 of monetary donations which is an amazing leveraging of the tax-deductible funds contributed.
The last two containers are yet to arrive at their destinations in Chernihiv and Khust. Both will arrive about the same time--the first part of February.
Lydia Kubik-Bauer comments about some of the clothes packing and sorting parties held:
Colleen Erickson, member of UCG Minneapolis organized two clothes packing parties for the Khust containers shipped to the Mission Nazareth in Ukraine. The gatherings were held at the Compassion Humanitarian Relief warehouse in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. One work party was held in September, one in November. Donated clothing was inspected, sorted by men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, and packaged for shipment. Three containers were shipped to Khust in 1996. One 20 foot container was shipped in July, a 40 foot in October, and a 40 foot in December.
The following people participated in the clothing packing events: Jim and Lorraine Imsdahl, Carl and Ann Montgomery, Dona Fehr, Nancy Pederson, Marvin and MaryAnn Root, Paula VaderPoel, Eva Williams, Robert Baldwin, Judy Servideo, Mary Burke, Will Boettcher, and Colleen Erickson. Colleen informed me that the volunteers really enjoyed working on this project and many have asked that a regular, monthly work party be scheduled. It is a great environment to get together and visit as well as to participate in a project which helps so many people.
Our 15 volunteers packaged up over 150 boxes, the equivalent of approximately 50% of a 20 foot container. Thank you!
December 27, 1996
The calendar year will end with two final shipments to Ukraine. We just shipped a 20 footer to Chernigev and a 40 footer to Mission Nazareth in Khust. The latter will supply much needed aid to the refugees from Tadjikistan.
So far to our two projects to Ukraine we have shipped 70 tons of humanitarian aid since July. In round numbers, the total value of goods shipped has exceeded $800,000. We were able to stretch the $25,000 of your donations and by networking with other relief groups to attain this amount of aid. This is leveraging every dollar more than 30 times over!
Final credits for the last containers go to donations and volunteers that were provided from UCG Churches in Cincinatti North, Lafayette, Boston, Minneapolis, St. Paul. From Central Pennsylvania Dr. Jim Johns and his wife Sue helped collect an incredible amount of dental equipment.
Dale Booth in Tucson, Arizona was able to locate diatomaceous earth at a good price for us.
Also, Bay State Milling in Minneapolis donated 1/2 ton of flour.
Thanks again to all of you who made all this relief possible. The people on the other end appreciate your help far more than any one of us can imagine. They've told me so.
Lydia