PONSONBY – A couple times most months, Kent Martin drives from Moorefield down past Elora to pick up crates of donations from Eric Huber.
These large crates are packed full of knitted blankets, gently-worn clothes, coats, shoes and accessibility aids such as wheelchairs, walkers and canes donated by local community members.
Huber said picking up and sorting through the donations takes more time than a full-time job.
The donations are shipped overseas to people living in countries including Ukraine, Romania, Jordan and Yemin.
Many of the items, particularly the medical equipment, are things Huber said secondhand stores cannot sell due to government policies.
So to avoid them winding up in landfills and to support people in need, Christian Aid Ministries Canada sends 40-foot container loads to Germany, where they are then redistributed to other countries.
Martin is the projects centre manager at Christian Aid Ministries, where he has worked for almost 40 years.
So far this year, he said Christian Aid Ministries has shipped 19 of its 40 foot containers overseas, filled with donated items and dehydrated food such as potatoes, carrots, beets, squash, sweet corn, carrots and asparagus.
To contribute donate gently-used or new clothing, blankets or accessibility aids for Christian Aid Ministries to redistribute, call their office at 519-638-0829.
