Local Haiti relief efforts ongoing

Stan Curtis, left, Bill Goins, Bill Eggers, Corey Bunten and Paul Runnells gave their time Wednesday to help load a 40-foot container, or nearly 45,000 pounds, of various donated items through Cornerstone Baptist Church for relief efforts in Haiti. Volunteers not pictured are Ben Goins, Michael Ali, Mary Gould, Harley Silverhawk and Al Little.

GREENCASTLE -- Following a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake Jan. 12 on the island nation of Haiti, members of Cornerstone Baptist Church have done all they can to help with relief efforts.

A group of nine Cornerstone members made a mission trip to the island nation and barely missed the massive earthquake that rocked its capitol Port-au-Prince and effected a third of its entire population.

In late January, the church collected 44,060 pounds of food and relief supplies and shipped a 40-foot container to Haiti.

"That container is currently in Haiti waiting to be released to the missionaries," said Dave Neeley, pastor of Cornerstone.

On Wednesday, a group of volunteers showed up at an empty warehouse owned by Dixie Chopper to help fill a second 40-foot container. Dixie Chopper has allowed Cornerstone to use the space to fill and store the massive containers.

"(The space) has been a huge blessing," said Bill Goins, member of Cornerstone and one of the volunteers helping with relief efforts.

The current container weighs roughly 45,000 pounds and has items from diapers to toothpaste to furniture, hygiene products and fabric. However, 75 percent of the container is food items.

In addition to Dixie Chopper, "local businesses have really stepped up and provided help," said Goins.

Cornerstone is still accepting donations to fill a third container. The next collection day will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 13 at Cornerstone, 218 S. Bloomington St. For a complete list of needed items, visit www.christmasbagsforhaiti.com.

The group is hoping to send one container every 60 days.

The cost to ship a 40-foot container costs approximately $7,000 each, said Stan Curtis.

Curtis, who resides in Cloverdale, has been making trips to Haiti for more than 20 years. He is a team coordinator with Missionary Flight International.

Missionary Flight is a private non-profit mission aviation service to Christian missions serving in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Bahamas. It was established in 1964 and provides professional on-going air support to affiliated missions that work in the island nations.

For further information on the work of Missionary Flight International, visit its Web site at www.missionaryflightinternational.org.