TERRYVILLE – Volunteers for the Orphan Grain Train’s (OGT) New England Branch, at 33 South Main St., Terryville, loaded a 53 foot container of needed items for Appalachia and the next day, loaded a 26 foot truck with items for Ukraine relief. OGT has the use of a warehouse in Terryville that is owned by Mr. Bill Allread, who has made space available for this charitable work.

The first shipment was sent to the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), which aids those less fortunate over a 12 state area and is headquartered in Kentucky. Included were over 1,000 boxes of blankets and quilts, men’s, women’s, children’s and infants clothing, hygiene supplies, hospital supplies, diapers, layette kits and stuffed animals. Also included were eight sewing machines with boxes of sewing supplies and hundreds of canes, crutches, and walkers. Some hospital items were added like a gurney, geri chair, IV poles, wheelchairs and shower chairs.

Then for the second shipment, volunteers loaded a 26 foot truck with many items for refugee relief for Ukraine sent through St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Cathedral in Maryland, which ships aid directly to Kiev. Included on this shipment were 17,000 Harvest Pack meals and oatmeal packs, and over 2300 pounds of food consisting of rice, flour, sugar, and salt. Also included was medical equipment consisting of six hospital bed kits, two emergency medical chairs, 90 boxes of hygiene supplies, 178 boxes of diapers, and 47 boxes of hospital linens. These items will be combined with inventory at the Cathedral’s warehouse to fill a container to be sent to Kiev.

Other shipments have gone to missions in a number of countries, e.g. Liberia, Nicaragua, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia, Nepal, the Philippines, Trinidad, Panama, Ghana and the Republic of Georgia, as well as hurricane relief for Puerto Rico, Florida and North Carolina. The Branch also helps those locally in New England, giving medical items that have been donated to individuals in need and though the visiting nurse and hospice care organizations of the area. It has also helped with a shipment to the Bridgeport Rescue Mission.

The effort is an Outreach Ministry of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LC-MS), and OGT is a 501(3)(C) charity affiliated with the church and supported locally by Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Terryville, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bristol, and St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waterbury, and it is open to all who want to help others.

For information, please call Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 860-582-0723 and/or visit OGT.org.

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