Orphan Grain Train - "Relief for Human Need Worldwide"

Regional Divisions

2012 Summer Mid-Atlantic Newsletter

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June 2011 Mid-Atlantic Branch Newsletter

The Lord provided, again!

Thanks to so many of you the warehouse is bare- yes bare, well almost. A few boxes remain which will be sent out in the near future when we have packed sufficient boxes to fill a container.

On Friday June 17th we were able, with the help of about 30 teenagers and others, to load a 53ft semi headed for Lutheran Social Services in MacArthur, Ohio. The load included household items, clothing and medical equipment. This semi went to MacArthur, Ohio which is the second center which Lutheran Social Services has added. At MacArthur items were sorted and appropriate ones sent to Alabama for distribution to those in the flooded out area. The people in Ohio and Alabama have been blessed by what you have donated and helped to sort, pack and load. And so, the Lord not only provided the items to be shipped but the people to sort, pack and to load 970 apple boxes, plus furniture, bicycles, sewing machines, a washing machine, a dryer and much, much more.

Boxes in the warehouse ready to ship.

On the following Friday June 24th we loaded a 40ft container bound for Haiti. The Lord again/still was at our side as we loaded 650 apple boxes of clothing plus 15 pallets of food. The Lord provided three willing youth and seven able bodied men to do the loading, just the right amount of help for this project! Loading apple boxes is quite easy; loading pallets is a different story. You just don’t lift a pallet by hand. Two blocks from the warehouse a fork lift repair and Rental Company loaned us a fork lift to help in loading. The Lord also provided an operator who had been helping at the warehouse and had the experience of operating many types of equipment. The flour, brown sugar, tomato sauce, pasta, Spam, cinnamon, canola oil, and baking powder are all items which will be distributed by our counterpart in Haiti.

The assembly line at work.

In addition to the food there were over 2400 wonderfully made Pillowcase Dresses from various parts of the U.S. including Florida, Delaware, Colorado, West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Some of the dresses came from local schools which had a sewing class and others from various organizations. The local TV Channel 10 showed the dresses and girls from one of the local schools. The young Haitian girls will be pleased with what you have done. Also, there was more than 3200 pair of flip flops for those in need. Thanks to Christ Memorial’s VBS and other churches in the Delaware Valley area the “Undy Sunday“ provided more than 1000 pair of underwear for both boys and girls. All in all, the container destined for those in need in Haiti should be a real blessing to God’s people who have very little and need very much. Thanks to all who became involved in the process.

Putting the finishing touches.

There were many people asking “What are you doing for the boys?“ We have received a pattern for Boy’s Shorts and are in the process of transferring it to an e-mail program. The finished e-mail will be ready in a week or so and we will be happy to send it to you at your request. The shorts will be sent to those boys in need along with more Pillowcase Dresses as they come in. There is a never ending need for countries such as Haiti, and so we continue to help those in need.

On Friday July 8th we started to give the warehouse a thorough cleaning. We will, with your help, start to sort and pack the mounds of clothing which have been accumulated. Volunteers are needed to get the clothing sorted and packed in order to load the next truck and/or container for those in need. We will be sorting and packing each Wednesday and Friday starting this July. The packing area is air conditioned, and there is a large fan in the sorting area. And on Fridays we have those delicious donuts. Come out and enjoy the opportunity to help others who are in need of clothing and other items which are lacking in their lives. Contact Cliff Kraft at 610 420 0380 or Roger Hazzard at 302 883 1760 for questions or directions.

To do all of the above we must raise funds. If you have insurance or investments with Thrivent, your Choice Dollars can be sent to Orphan Grain Train, Mid Atlantic Division by contacting Thrivent and designating Orphan Grain Train, Mid Atlantic Division as your choice for the distribution of your Choice Dollars. No cost to you, but a benefit to those in need. The cost to send a container to Haiti is in excess of nine thousand dollars ($9,000). The cost of the food which we sent was close to nineteen thousand five hundred dollars ($19,500). The cost to send a truck to Ohio is over nine hundred seventy-five dollars ($975). In addition we have warehouse expenses of rent and utilities. All of these funds must be raised by the Mid Atlantic Division. Of course financial contributions are always eagerly accepted. Some congregations put Orphan Grain train in their yearly budget. Would you prayerfully consider this approach to mission work?

One of our fund raisers this year is the 7th Annual Live and Silent Auction which will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Frazer, PA on Sunday October 16th from 4:30 to 8pm. A light snack will be served and the items will be many and varied. Dinners, framed pictures, restaurants, airline tickets, golf outings, Disney passes and theatres will be part of the items offered. Is there something you would like to offer for the auction? Call Cliff Kraft and talk with him about that special item. Mark your calendar now for that date!

We give thanks to God for the opportunity to serve Him by serving others. In His plans He has provided opportunities for us to serve others. Let’s take advantage of those opportunities.

To God alone be the glory.
Cak 6/29/11

Shorts for Boys Around the World

Do you have a heart for clothing children in need? With your sewing skills and a little fabric you can create a pair of shorts that will mean a great deal to a boy. Christ Memorial Lutheran of Malvern, PA, has once again teamed up with Orphan Grain Train to send 2,000 shorts to boys in Haiti and by January 31, 2012.

Last spring our drive to send 1,000 pillowcase dresses to needy girls in Haiti received an overwhelming response of 2,140 from more than 15 states! Thank you to everyone who so generously gave of their time and skills to make that possible! Many participants asked what they could do for boys. In response, we have produced a simple-to-use pattern for shorts.

Why are we excited about this program?

We did it once before for girls, we can to it again for boys!
The shorts pattern is easy to make. You can even use pillowcases.

Orphan Grain Train has already reserved space on a container to ship the shorts to Haiti from their Wilmington, DE, warehouse. Missionaries in Haiti are prepared to distribute the clothing to those most in need along with the Gospel message.

What can you do?

Click on the links below for easy patterns and instructions for sewing shorts in three sizes.

Boys Shorts Pattern LARGE
Boys Shorts Pattern MEDIUM
Boys Shorts Pattern SMALL
Boys Shorts Directions

These shorts can be made as simply or as creatively as you would like! Make as many as you want. Ask friends and family to help. Organize a group to get together to make shorts; last spring church groups, schools, and Girl Scouts, came together just to sew. Forward this email to someone you know who might be interested in helping our campaign. This is also ideal for young adults to use as a service project!

For a Youtube video of children in Haiti receiving shorts and dresses, click on the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8l1vv1I1ZY

Where do we send the shorts?

Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, the collection site, is at 89 Line Road, Malvern, PA, 19355; phone 610-644-4508. Shorts can be dropped off or mailed, on or before January 31, 2012, between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM weekdays, or 8:30 AM to noon on Sundays.