Emergency Kits Up Close and Personal

Emergency Kits Up Close and Personal

What happens after you ship IOCC emergency kits to the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Maryland?

A group of IOCC staff took a trip to see firsthand.

Though it appears unassuming from the road, the warehouse nestled in Maryland’s countryside is some 100,000 square feet large. From here, shipping containers and tractor trailers full of emergency supplies are packed and sent across the country and around the world, according to needs. The center serves not only IOCC and its partners but other relief organizations, as well, making it a truly impressive and tangible example of faith in action.

Overseen by a small and dedicated staff, volunteers in the warehouse unpack and check the kits assembled and sent in by volunteers across the United States, ensuring that each one is uniform and ready for someone who needs it. IOCC and other partners are able to request shipments of kits by the shipping-container full—usually around 30,000 kits each—for projects worldwide, or pallets of cleanup buckets and other supplies for emergencies here in the United States.

When the 2017 hurricane season was at its peak, supplies of cleanup buckets in the warehouse reached critical lows, but supporters responded and quickly replenished the stock. Now, staff and partners are preparing for this year’s hurricanes, anticipating another hectic season. There is always a need for kits and buckets because emergencies tend to cycle, no matter where they are; in other words, it’s never a bad time to make kits!