During all the work everyone did to help Haiti since January, the earth still quakes. People are falling thru the cracks. An area that I am helping organize is a group of helps for Chile. The homelessness among people there is pretty rough right now. Winter is coming to the southern Hemisphere. They don't need money, they need coats, blankets and tools to get their lives back. Simple things. I have a place where things can be accumulated and shipped from. What is needed is people to bring things together for pick up. Even if the things were collected at a central place, we will come pick them up. Here's a little about the group I am working with to bring this about. It is good works to help these people with the needs they have, and the level of corruption is far less difficult than it was in Haiti.
Everything will get where it needs to go.
A note I wrote on all this is below. This is an easy thing to do...less difficult than the Haiti project was logistically.
People have garage sales to get rid of things they NEED.
We can make a difference and it costs little....
As you know, at the end of February there was a devastating earthquake in Chile. It came on the heels of the disaster in Haiti, yet it was many times greater in Chile. Measured at 7.0 in Haiti and 8.8 in Chile, Chile's was a magnitude of 33 times greater, since Richter is an exponential measurement.
Chile, with it's less fragile infrastructure and better building control, did not suffer the structural losses from the earthquake that Haiti did. It did not suffer the resultant loss of life with less than a thousand lost in Chile but more than 300,000 lost in Haiti.
The response of people around the world to Haiti has been tremendous. Yet the response to the earthquake in Chile is far more muted. Certainly Chile is a much more developed country than Haiti. Yet the resultant homelessness is great. Winter is coming on; it is getting cold.
The real damage suffered is in the towns and villages along the coast of Chile. After the quake, a tsunami rushed out to sea. It vacated the coastal waters, pushing out. The return of the water in reaction was just as great, and the towns were leveled. Destroying all in their path, some loss of life resulted. This Tsunami was the power that destroyed.
Now these people are out of places to live. They are living up in the mountains in temporary shelters, in tents, in nothing. Much of their clothing was lost or destroyed and now winter is coming.
They are resourceful people and can and will rebuild if they have the tools necessary to do the job. We can help. Not with money (although money is always appreciated) but with materials. A list is posted below of things needed.
What is Needed Now
· Winter Clothes
· Blankets
· Pop up tents
· Plastic Sheeting
· Poly Tarps (like the Blue tarps that can be used for shelter)
· Mattresses (air)
· Basic medicines and first aid supplies (aspirin, pain killers, vitamins, band aids, and things you would need in a first aid kit for an extended time)
· Tools for construction: hammers, etc -- You may have saws, and all kinds of carpentry hand tools you no longer use nor need. This is a good time to put them in the hands of someone who can get their life back. Or just go buy a hundred dollars worth of Hand Tools and send them. We all have good hand construction tools we no longer use.
· Diapers
· Rice
· Spaghetti
· Oil for cooking
· Shampoo and soaps
· Bleach and Clothes Soaps
For much of this, you can go to the grocery and hardware store and for a few dollars make a big difference. For other parts of this, a simple clean the garage and rather than put those tools out in a garage sale, send them to Chile. This is easy to do. Join us in making a difference in the lives of the Chilean people.
Here's the important part, to those of us connected to the Church: THESE ARE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST. Christians in Chile are directly affected by this catastrophe. It is these brethren who are handling the offloading and distribution as the materials arrive. We are taking care of the household of faith in our efforts and we are helping to build the Kingdom of God by our contribution as they show themselves able in the communities.
We are mandated to be of assistance to these people. Paul commended those from Macedonia in their help to Jerusalem even though no one ever met one another. Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 8:1-5; 11:9 This is the book of Acts continued in our day.
Pastor Aaron Helland, grew up in Chile. He personally knows the people involved and is in communication with them. The coordination is through him. This means much, and it is excellent that we have a man who knows the lay of the land and can coordinate these efforts with competence.
Here are the Important Facts:
· In Chicago we have a warehouse area contributed to collect and store the materials until we load it to head for Chile (location below)
· The shipment will go just as soon as the needed material is collected and the cost of transporting the container has been met
· New material is better than old, but your used tools, blankets, coats and tents are needed now.
· We must move quickly; winter is coming.
· If each church and organization would do it's part we would have this done now.
· No single contribution of materials is as important as all of them together.
· Transportation has been arranged and in some cases contributed.
· To coordinate this, the contacts below are important.
Contact People
PASTOR AARON HELLAND GENE REDLIN
Paz Church, Chicago St. Charles, IL
(630) 513-5100
Cell: (630) 806-1932 Cell: (630) 421-5100
Fax: (630) 969-7107 Fax: (630) 513-5127
Email: aaron.helland.rl57@statefarm.com Email: generedlin@att.net
Collection Point is in Schaumburg IL. But we can help you bring it where it needs to go
The distribution of aid, at the other end, is being handled by Bishop Carlos Adams. He is the President of Unidad Evangelica, which is the local pastor's association that encompasses churches in the 8th Region of Chile, where the epicenter of the earthquake took place. Their website is www.unidadevangelica.cl. He is the most respected minister in the area and is working with all denominations to distribute the aid.
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