clothes

Master Provisions – by the Numbers

Over the weekend (Friday & Saturday), 15 of our IMPACT students and adults went to Florence, KY, to assist Master Provisions in packing a container that will be delivered to Togo.  We have had the privilege to work with Master Provisions for nearly 10 summers and have watched the ministry grow.  This year was significant because this container was the 500th container Master Provisions sent out.

Here are some numbers we learned over the weekend about the ministry.

 

– This is the 500th container since the ministry began in 1994.

– It costs roughly $4,800 to ship one container (a local Skyline Chili restaurant paid for $4,500 of the costs – I knew there was a reason I really liked Skyline!)

– Each container that is sent impacts approximately 20,000 people (so, multiply 500 containers by 20,000….)

– Through the course of a year, Master Provisions has 10,000 volunteers who donate clothes, sort and pack, give funds, go on trips and much more.

We enjoy coming alongside this great ministry…and we have fun, too!

Our group sorted shoes, hats, belts and other clothing items

Helped load the container

And even found some cool hats

Master Provisions Packing Trip

For the past several summers our youth group has partnered with Master Provisions and helped pack clothes for their ministry. We are heading out this weekend to help prepare a shipment to Togo.

Here’s the cool thing – this will be the 500th shipment sent out by Master Provisions.  Here’s what they put on their website:

500th Container Celebration: Togo Party

June 16, 2012 | 11:00am

MASTER Provisions celebrates the shipping of the 500th container. Our “Togo” party will commence at 11:00 by packing the Togo-bound container with the help of volunteers from Wilmington Church of Christ. Skyline Chili of Burlington, KY is sponsoring the shipping of the container and will also be serving delicious Cincinnati Chili for Lunch.

You can check out their ministry on the Master Provisions website.

Clothes to Ghana and Kosovo

Last weekend a group of 17 students and adults from our church went to Florence, KY, to partner with Master Provisions and sort and pack clothes that will eventually end up in Ghana and Kosovo.

We have been privileged to be associated with this ministry for the past 7-8 years.  It has been great seeing how God has grown this ministry.  In our previous trips, we went to whatever warehouse space Master Provisions was given to use.  Now, through a series of events that God put together, the ministry now has their own warehouse and office space.  An added bonus is that we were the first group to stay there!

During the time we were there, we unloaded bags, sorted clothes for both warm and cold climates, packed bags for both countries and emptied one semi trailer by moving bags to another trailer.  The semi trailer we emptied was leaving for Michigan to pick up more clothes.

Master Provisions takes the excess we have in the US and sends it to countries in need to not only provide clothing, but also fund kingdom work and share the good news of Jesus.  Our group worked hard (most of the time), but was blessed to be a part of the bigger work God is doing through that ministry.

Check out what Master Provisions is doing by visiting their website and reading the latest newsletter.