By Morgan Frideres
Midwest Mission is seeing the largest year of donations from Annual Conference attendees in the past three years, according to Stan Lowrey, a volunteer coordinator. The truck, parked in the North lot of the Iowa Event Center, is packed full with donations from across the state.
Lowrey and his wife, Jennie, have been associated with Midwest Mission since 2005, and this is the couple’s third year at Iowa’s Annual Conference.
Fill the Midwest Missions Truck from Iowa Annual Conference on Vimeo.
The collections at annual conference supply the items needed to put various kits together to send for disaster relief within the United States and throughout the world. The kits being collected include health kits, baby layettes, flood clean-up kits, bicycles, sewing machines, school kits, birthing kits and other kinds of kits to help people in need.
Midwest mission is related to the United Methodist church and represents the North Central Jurisdiction, of which the Iowa Conference is a member. All the states in the jurisdiction can use Midwest Mission’s distribution center to send items to those in need.
Aside from donating items for kits, Stan Lowrey said the best way people can help during the conference is to spread awareness of Midwest Mission.
“It’s a good time to be visible, to let people know that we’re here. We’re ready and willing to take what they have to give,” he said.
People can always give financially, too. Financial donations go to purchasing materials to put kits together. And the giving doesn’t have to stop once the conference ends.
“They need to go home and tell the story of what they saw, maybe have a dream or a hope for what they can do for the coming year,” he said.
Those wanting to help can go on Midwest Mission’s website and check out what the current needs are and what changes are being made at www.midwestmission.org.
