Matthew's Box arrives in Haiti!

Inspired by members of Prince of Peace (POP) Lutheran Church in Springfield, Virginia, most notably Melinda Reidy, the Matthew’s Box project was started during the summer of 2008. The goal was to collect and send a shipping container of relief supplies directly from Virginia to the people of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. At the height of the effort the idea of sending two containers, one to Port au Prince and one to a northern coastal city, Cap Haitian, was thought a possibility. Several subsequent devastating storms that battered Haiti, and the resulting backlogs of relief supplies made it almost impossible to ship even one container. At one point an alternative donation site in Central or South America was given serious consideration. But with the outcome of this project fully in the hands of our Lord, a 40 foot container stuffed to the doors was finally shipped through Food for the Poor in Florida to the main distribution facility at Port au Prince, arriving there on April 17th. God’s plan also included having the POP mission team “coincidently” in Haiti at that time to help unload the container and organize and distribute the contents.

Relief supplies included new shoes, rice, beans, Vienna sausage, folding tables, bicycles, infant formula, disposable diapers, OTC medical supplies, personal care items, socks, underwear, and other much needed materials.

In addition to POPLC, the following churches joined forces to make this a successful project:

Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Fairfax
Peace Lutheran Church, Alexandria
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Alexandria
Nativity Catholic Church, Burke
Good Shepherd Methodist Church, Vienna
Liberty Baptist Church, Bear, Delaware

Food for the Poor – www.foodforthepoor.org
Lazarus Project – www.lazarusprojecthaiti.org
Hands and Feet Project – www.handsandfeetproject.org
Operation Starfish – www.starfishmission.org
Jacksonville Baptist Association Haiti Mission Project – www.ibahaiti.org
Friends of the Children of Haiti – www.fotcoh.org
Christian School of New Vision

MANY church members and individuals in the community
Interstate Van Lines who donated storage space, packing materials, and free transportation of the initial contributions to the consolidation center in Delaware.
Shoes2Share in Wilmington, Delaware who, in addition to thousands of pairs of shoes, did the consolidation, storing, and packing of the shipment at their warehouse facility—a big thanks to Rhonda and Tim Wampler!
Costco of Springfield, Virginia
Uno’s Chicago Grill of Alexandria
Food for the Poor who arranged for the final transportation/shipping and receipt of the container from the U.S.A. to Port au Prince, Haiti.



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Matthew's Box arrives in Haiti! “Whatever you do for the least of my brothers you do for me.” Matthew 25:40 Inspired by members of Prince of Peace (POP) Lutheran Church in Springfield, Virginia, most notably Melinda Reidy, the Matthew’s Box project was started during the summer of 2008. The goal was to collect and send a shipping container of relief supplies directly from Virginia to the people of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. At the height of the effort the idea of sending two containers, one to Port au Prince and one to a northern coastal city, Cap Haitian, was thought a possibility. Several subsequent devastating storms that battered Haiti, and the resulting backlogs of relief supplies made it almost impossible to ship even one container. At one point an alternative donation site in Central or South America was given serious consideration. But with the outcome of this project fully in the hands of our Lord, a 40 foot container stuffed to the doors was finally shipped through Food for the Poor in Florida to the main distribution facility at Port au Prince, arriving there on April 17th. God’s plan also included having the POP mission team “coincidently” in Haiti at that time to help unload the container and organize and distribute the contents. Relief supplies included new shoes, rice, beans, Vienna sausage, folding tables, bicycles, infant formula, disposable diapers, OTC medical supplies, personal care items, socks, underwear, and other much needed materials. In addition to POPLC, the following churches joined forces to make this a successful project: Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Fairfax Peace Lutheran Church, Alexandria St. John’s Lutheran Church, Alexandria Nativity Catholic Church, Burke Good Shepherd Methodist Church, Vienna Liberty Baptist Church, Bear, Delaware Ministries supported by this project include: Food for the Poor – www.foodforthepoor.org Lazarus Project – www.lazarusprojecthaiti.org Hands and Feet Project – www.handsandfeetproject.org Operation Starfish – www.starfishmission.org Jacksonville Baptist Association Haiti Mission Project – www.ibahaiti.org Friends of the Children of Haiti – www.fotcoh.org Christian School of New Vision Contributing Partners: MANY church members and individuals in the community Interstate Van Lines who donated storage space, packing materials, and free transportation of the initial contributions to the consolidation center in Delaware. Shoes2Share in Wilmington, Delaware who, in addition to thousands of pairs of shoes, did the consolidation, storing, and packing of the shipment at their warehouse facility—a big thanks to Rhonda and Tim Wampler! Costco of Springfield, Virginia Uno’s Chicago Grill of Alexandria Food for the Poor who arranged for the final transportation/shipping and receipt of the container from the U.S.A. to Port au Prince, Haiti.





		Although this was not without some glitches and “disappointments” along the way, the timing of the arrival of the container at the port in Haiti (just before Holy Week) and the Prince of Peace mission team there to see it arrive at FFP in Haiti on April 17th to help distribute the contents, can only be described as one of those awesome God Moments. God richly bless all the Churches, Ministries, and contributing partners, and especially the children and people of Haiti helped through this project.