April is upon us and our delegation is “chomping at the bit” to get to Belarus and deliver our aid.  This year we sent the containers earlier to give us more time to get them cleared through Customs and it looks like it has worked!  Everything in the first container has been released and the second one should be right behind.  Our delegation is scheduled to arrive the week of April 18th.

Along with many family parcels, food boxes and product for the orphanage and families with disabled children, we also have 230 hand made quilts to give out to the orphans and needy children in the community.  These quilts were lovingly made by the “Chernobyl Quilters” of Brockville with help from their friends from the Kingston Limestone Guild, Napanee, Enterprise, Metcalfe, and Ottawa.  This group, headed up by Mary Bernard of Brockville have already delivered hundreds of quilts over the past few years.  Here is Mary with some of the quilters and many of the quilts prior to packing them for shipment.

Back in January our team of volunteers packed over 600 food boxes that will be delivered to impoverished families and seniors.

In early February we packed those two 40 foot shipping containers and sent them on their way.

On March 10th we met the containers in Chausy, Belarus and, with the help of our many friends,  unloaded them into several storage facilities where they have been kept “in bond” ever since.

Here is the gym at School #1 with all of the parcels sorted and ready to go.

Dave Shaw, our Director of Humanitarian Aid is currently in Chausy and he contacted me this morning to let me know that the first container has been released.

Stay tuned during the week of April 18th for updates on the delivery as well as our other initiatives and activities!  Thank you once again Brockville and area, your support and generosity are overwhelming!

Eric McKenzie