MID-ATLANTIC BRANCH 2020 Winter Newsletter Open House Welcomes Community Shipments Outlook Fall event encourages community involvement. Shipments are determined by specific requests from our destination partners. Here are the latest updates. Our Open House was blessed with a beautiful Saturday after- noon on October 19th, a perfect day to tell visitors about Our last shipment of OGT’s work and encourage potential volunteers. Guests the year loaded on were guided to the warehouse by special signs, greeted with Wednesday morn- th tours, and offered giveaways, ing, December 11 . refreshments, and even a chance Although OGT, Inc, to win door prizes. Two new floor has sent many con- display posters, on loan from the tainers to Ukraine, Norfolk office, helped visitors this was the first from our branch. Sixteen volunteers better understand OGT’s scope worked quickly to fill the 40’ container with 986 boxes and purpose. Bike restoration of mostly clothing, blankets and food. Even our truck expert and MAB volunteer, Tom driver, Carlos, joined the enthusiasm and proved to be Fuesler, was on hand to explain a great asset! Thanks to Heather Griesser of KAH his personal mission of repairing Philadelphia, the over 20,000 meals loaded were due bicycles for overseas shipment. (Continued on page 5) Rob Hall with event signage Pastor Kummer of Concordia Warehouse Opens Saturdays Lutheran church in Wilming- Additional hours expand operation. ton, DE, blessed the gather- ing with a special dedication The Lord has blessed MAB so abundantly we have homily and prayer based on ‘outgrown’ our Wednesday-only work schedule! Luke 3:7-14. Many supporters, who work weekdays, have asked to volunteer on weekends. In response, we are expand- First-time visitors expressed ing the hours of operation to include two Saturday amazement at our facility mornings a month, 9:30-noon. We will be open Jan and the new streamlined 25th, Feb 8th and 22nd, Mar 14th and 28th, and method for efficiently pro- April 25th to sort clothing and receive donations. In cessing donations. Many addition to our 10-2:30 shift on Wednesdays, these were interested in the entire new hours will help us fill shipping containers more Bike Man, Tom Fuesler, shows how operation, asking how they refurbished bicycles are tracked quickly. The Jennersville warehouse welcomes you – to new owners could help. Special exhibits come and join our mission! (Continued on page 5) “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…” Hebrews 10:24 Page 2 M id - Atlantic Branch Donations Bolster MAB Mission Grant Funds Ensure Future Activity Volunteers give from the heart. Supporters continue to increase giving. Leadership Skills Kayelee New MAB Record at Boscov’s — Our 4th annual fund- Ryan, a high school senior raiser with Boscov’s Friends Helping Friends Day was held in Malvern, PA, read about October 16th. Challenged with besting last year’s miracu- Orphan Grain Train in her lous high of $4,428, branch members initially expressed church bulletin. Inspired to doubt. Imagine how elated we were when we learned the demonstrate her faith, final tally was $4,892! Success Kayelee looked for ideas on came again this year with the the OGT website to help help of an anonymous matching children. The result? 103 pledge that doubled all dona- School Kits that she completed with help from family tions up to $2,000. Despite and friends. She personally delivered them to our mixed results in some stores on warehouse on November 20th for the shipment to sale day, many volunteers reported excellent pre-event Ukraine. Says Kayelee, “This experience has made me activity, receiving unsolicited donations from kindly sup- grow even closer to God and has made me realize porters. Shoppers eagerly took OGT literature and more the importance of helping others.” Thank you, Kaye- than one volunteer reported interest in attending our lee, for your volunteer leadership! Open House event. We even received an added bonus — a MAB pass-holder won the gift-card drawing in the A Heart for Service Exton, PA store, securing a $100 dollar donation from Nearby Lincoln University Boscov’s to our branch! Each year we wonder if we will students began working match previous results, and every time the Lord amazes with MAB last October. us. We are again humbled by His generosity. (For more Accompanied by LU Com- photos see SPECIAL INSERT page 4.) munity Service Director, Natasha Faison, they toured the warehouse, then helped assemble Fall Grant-Match Raises the Bar — Hygiene Kits and pack We are awed by our supporters clothes. The young people who again unselfishly gave beyond are a joy to be with; they work hard and have fun expectations. Thanks to you we doing it! The students have returned several times; raised $17,786. Combined with the we hope this continues as an on-going relationship. $10,000 grant the total reached $27,786! We could not survive Product-Passion without your dedication; each year Dansko’s 30-year we are blessed with more funds mission “ to improve than the year before. (2018 had no the quality of peo- Fall Grant-Match.) Because of your ple’s lives through gifts we can continue our mission great products...” with confidence in 2020, sending shined on Novem- aid to help those in desperate ber 13th. We wel- need and enabling us to show the comed 27 donated love of Jesus through the life- cases of beautiful Dansko shoes brought by a 3-man giving supplies and spiritual mes- delivery team. We are so grateful and hope there are sage of Orphan Grain Train. more to come. 2019 1 Goal: “help those in need” 2 shipments 5 LWML Districts 25 churches 65 volunteers 65 bicycles shipped Page 3 2020 Winter Newsletter SPECIAL INSERT — Open House! Gigi Mueller welcomes guests Carla Niesen, Gigi Mueller, Sandy O’Hedy, Ruth Hewlett Tom Fuesler shows repaired bicycles Jack Royer discusses packing boxes with visitors Above: Scott Weaver leads a tour Right: Door Prize winners Carole Peterson (top) and Karen Markey Rob Hall and Jim Bell at Special Projects table Pastor Kummer (upper right) gives the dedication 434 supporters 1768 boxes shipped 4265 volunteer hours … untold thousands experience the love of Christ! Page 4 M id - Atlantic Branch SPECIAL INSERT — Boscov’s Friends Helping Friends Carla Niesen, Granite Run Mall, PA Rob Hall, Exton Square Mall, PA Caroline Goetz and Bob Guy, Concord Mall, DE Susanne Ferro Exton Square Mall door prize winner Arnold and Gloria Ziccardi, Coventry Mall, PA Marilyn Kraft, Exton Square Mall, PA Ruth Hewlett, Christiana Mall, DE Susan Bell, Exton Square Mall, PA Page 5 2020 Winter Newsletter Shipments Outlook Open House Welcomes... (Continued from page 1) (Continued from page 1) to a joint packing effort showed volunteer opportunities such as sewing between MAB and KAH vol- Pillowcase Dresses, making School and Hygiene Kits, unteers in early November. gathering clothing, and donating used bicycles for us Medical equipment, Kayelee to refurbish. Ryan's School Kits (see Volunteer Ruth Hewlett welcomed a guest who “Donations Bolster MAB Mis- showed interest in OGT after meeting her at the sion”), and Hygiene Kits Boscov Friends-Helping-Friends event four days were also part of the ship- earlier; the women shared how God had drawn them ment, as well as 50 boxes of together. Ruth invited her to the Open House and shoes and accessories, plus was delighted to report,” She did come and met 20 repaired bicycles. several volunteers and remains excited about our Truck driver, Carlos, helps out work. She is praying about volunteering. God is Everything will be delivered good!!!” A Delaware supporter commented, “So to Charitable Foundation nice, what you and the team are doing. What a great Mariam, a mission helping place and location. Really glad we could visit and see, orphans and low-income not just read about. I'll keep sharing the news.” In all, families with humanitarian MAB welcomed 60 visitors and volunteers to show aid since 2006. We antici- how MAB has been “blessed to be a blessing.” (For pate the container will arrive more photos see SPECIAL INSERT page 3.) the first part of January to help Ukrainian families during the winter months. Urgent Need for Bicycles Inventory drops as bikes are shipped overseas. Loading the container Bicycles are a great blessing to those in need, and often the only means of trans- portation in poor areas. MAB is fortu- nate to have an in- house expert who refurbishes unused, unwanted, or dam- aged bikes, all to the glory of God. To No bicycle is too small! date, Tom Fuesler has repaired 87 bikes for MAB, Team Ukraine but current inventory is low. Did you purchase a new bicycle this past Christmas? Could you donate “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than your old one to someone in need? If you know of a all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at bike to donate please contact Tom directly at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ [email protected] or call Cliff Kraft at 610-420- Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!” 0380 to arrange a pick-up. Thank you for your help Ephesians 3: 20,21 continuing this worthy mission! Orphan Grain Train Our Mission Statement Mid-Atlantic Branch In loving response to Christ, the Servant, the Orphan Grain Train movement encourages and enables God's people to share personal and material 89 Line Road resources in bringing Christ's name and character to needy people, both far Malvern, PA 19355 and near.