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MARK KELLY
International Mission Board
RICHMOND, Va. (BP)—Southern Baptist relief workers expect hunger to be one of the major needs they find in Iraq when humanitarian aid finally is able to cross the border, and churches across the United States are being challenged to help minister to that need.
Iraq’s people have suffered under the regime of Saddam Hussein and 12 years of United Nations sanctions have made their lives even more difficult, says Jim Brown, director of world hunger and relief ministries for the International Mission Board.
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For less than $60, congregations can assemble a box of dry food that will feed a family of five for about a month. Brown is challenging all 42,000 Southern Baptist congregations to mobilize food relief for hungry Iraqis.
“This is a great way for Southern Baptists who can’t actually go themselves to minister in a personal way to Iraqi people,” Brown said. “[The food] will be specifically delivered to hungry families in the towns and villages of Iraq once peace has been restored to the country.”
The food aid will be delivered without regard to ethnic or religious identity, Brown said.
The boxes will contain almost 70 pounds of staple food items: beans, lentils, rice, flour, salt, sugar, loose tea and powdered milk. Packing instructions and a detailed list of portion sizes can be found below.
The boxes must not contain other items or literature of any sort, Brown said. Inclusion of evangelistic tracts could cause the aid shipment to be rejected by authorities.
A label on the outside of each box will quote John 1:17 in Arabic: “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” It also will identify it as “A gift with love from the Southern Baptist churches in America.”
Disaster relief offices of the Florida Baptist Convention will receive boxes and, in partnership with the IMB, coordinate delivery to the shipping point, Brown said. Specific questions about the collection process should be directed to Fritz Wilson, director of the Florida Baptist Men’s Department at 800-226-8584, ext. 8240. People with other questions may contact the International Mission Board.
Churches or individuals who would prefer to make a donation toward the cost of the project can designate checks to “Iraq Response—General Relief” and mail them to: Iraq Response, P.O. Box 6767, Richmond, VA 23230-0767. Make checks payable to International Mission Board and designate “Iraq Response—General Relief.”
Contributions may be made online at http://resources.imb.org/index.cfm/fa/prod/ProdID/961.htm. Every dollar given will go 100 percent to relief ministries.
Directions for preparing a food box are as follows:
Use only a U-Haul “small box” product (16 3/8" x 12 5/8" x 12 5/8" = 1.5 cubic feet). Same size boxes will help facilitate both bulk packing and transportation. Begin by lining the box with a large trashcan liner—this will protect the contents and prevent spillage outside the box. Pack the items by quantities listed below. Begin by layering the 4-1lb. bags of rice on one side of the bottom and the 2-5 lb. bags of sugar and 3-5 lb. bags of flour (standing) on the other sides. Next stack the 12-1 lb. bags of white navy beans and 4-1 lb. bags of lentils on top of the standing sugar and flour bags. Lastly place the salt (2-26 oz. containers), tea (4 boxes) and powdered milk (10 - 3.2 oz. envelopes) in the remaining air space. Tie the trashcan liner and securely tape the box (making sure the box has also been securely taped on the bottom). (Total weight will be approximately 68 pounds—box capacity is 70 pounds.) Your “family food box” will help provide food for a family of five for approximately one month.
The deadline for collection is May 19. For more information call Fritz Wilson at 800-226-8584, ext. 8240.