Matthew 25 is Sending 47 Pallets of Supplies to Partners Serving People Impacted by the Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis

MAY 23, 2023 Blue Ash, OH – As the Ukraine humanitarian crisis continues into its second year, Matthew 25: Ministries remains committed to supporting our partners helping Ukraine and the surrounding countries. In partnership with GE Aerospace and Airlink, Matthew 25: Ministries is shipping 47 pallets of desperately needed clothing and undergarments to partners serving the crisis region.

Matthew 25 was already working with an on-the-ground partner to escalate the delivery of these urgently needed supplies, and the offer of help from Airlink came at the perfect time to ensure that the 47 pallets (approximately 22,000 lbs.) of much needed clothing and undergarments would make their way as rapidly as possible to partners serving people in need as a result of the ongoing crisis. The Airlink shipment is being picked up at Matthew 25 on May 23^rd and 24^th and taken to an airport for flight. The shipment of clothing and undergarments should arrive in Germany within the week and from there will be transported into Ukraine for immediate distribution to people in need.

While Matthew 25’s standard method of shipping is via 40-foot sea-going containers, the opportunity to utilize air transportation will enhance the rapid delivery and distribution of critically needed aid to areas impacted by the crisis, while reducing the potential risks of security threats, dangerous road conditions, and logistical challenges. GE Aerospace, a long-time supporter of both Matthew 25 and Airlink, identified a strong alignment between the two organizations, and connected Matthew 25 to Airlink, a global humanitarian disaster logistics organization delivering critical aid to communities in crisis by providing free of charge airlift and logistical solutions to a global network of 150+ nonprofit partners, changing the way the humanitarian community responds to disasters around the world. In addition to generously providing funding to Matthew 25 through the GE Employee Community Service Fund, GE Aerospace employees donate hundreds of volunteer hours to Matthew 25 each year. GE Aerospace is one of Matthew 25’s most active and versatile supporters.

“We are so appreciative of the introduction from GE Aerospace which has brought us into contact with this great organization,” says Tim Mettey, CEO of Matthew 25: Ministries. “The services Airlink provides to nonprofits serving disasters help them to respond more quickly, and to have the flexibility to use donated funds for other purposes to help even more people in need. The length and destructiveness of this crisis have left so many families with lost loved ones or heartbreaking separations. Our aid is providing hope and help to people who have lived with the ravages of war for over a year and who have decades of recovery and rebuilding ahead of them once this crisis is over.”

As part of its Ukraine response, Airlink has added a significant number of new partners to its nonprofit network to scale up humanitarian response in the region, including Matthew 25: Ministries. Airlink has noted a shift from ocean freight to a focus on airlifting life-saving, life-sustaining, and life-affirming supplies as is the case with this critical shipment. “We are thrilled to deliver our first shipment on behalf of Matthew 25: Ministries to get such valuable cargo in the air and on the ground to support those in need, and we’re grateful to our sponsor GE Aerospace for bringing us together and for their support, as well as to our long-term partner United Airlines for flying this shipment at such short notice,” says Steven J. Smith, Airlink President & CEO.

Matthew 25 shipped their first truckload of crisis relief aid including personal care products, paper products, first aid items and clothing, to Ukraine on Monday, February 28^th, 2022—four days after the crisis escalated. In 2022, Matthew 25 shipped over 2 million pounds of aid to assist people impacted by this crisis and also provided support for direct relief programs including food, shelter, medical care, essential supplies, transportation assistance and educational services. Already in 2023, Matthew 25 has shipped almost 600,000 pounds of supplies to partners in and around Ukraine. Matthew 25 has over a dozen Ukraine partners and their aid is reaching more than twenty cities throughout Ukraine as well as four surrounding countries serving refugees. So far, Matthew 25’s aid has assisted over 3 million people impacted by this crisis.

There is no end to the Ukraine crisis currently in sight, and even if the conflict ended tomorrow, the region will need long-term recovery and rebuilding support for years to come. An estimated 5.9 million people in Ukraine are internally displaced. Nearly 8 million refugees, mostly women and children, have fled to neighboring countries and across Europe. Approximately 17.6 million people in Ukraine are in need of humanitarian assistance. Upon receipt, these supplies will provide improved health and hygiene, better physical and emotional well-being, and hope to recipients.

Matthew 25 responds to disasters domestically and internationally and provides both rapid response and long-term support to areas impacted by disasters. In 2023, Matthew 25 has responded to disasters including the U.S. Tornado Outbreak, Mississippi tornadoes, earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, the East Palestine train derailment, and is continuing response for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Matthew 25: Ministries has shipped over 14 million pounds of supplies in 2023, including 6 million pounds of disaster relief and helped more than 16 million people.

For the most current information on Matthew 25: Ministries’ activities, please visit their website https://m25m.org/disaster/ukraine22/ or follow Matthew 25 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/m25m.org, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/m25m_org/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/M25M_org. For more in-depth information about Matthew 25: Ministries’ humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts, please contact Michelle Jones mjones@m25m.org.

Matthew 25: Ministries accepts cash, check, credit card and online donations for ongoing humanitarian aid and disaster relief programs, as well as product donation support. Matthew 25 also welcomes volunteers six days a week at their Blue Ash facility.

ABOUT MATTHEW 25: MINISTRIES: Matthew 25: Ministries rescues and reuses approximately 15,000,000 pounds of products each year and redistributes them to the poorest of the poor and disaster victims. Each year, Matthew 25: Ministries impacts the lives of more than 20,000,000 individuals throughout the United States and around the world. Matthew 25 is included on Forbes’ 2022 list of America’s Top 100 Charities, is a 4-star nonprofit on Charity Navigator and has earned a Platinum-Level Candid Exchange seal. Matthew 25: Ministries is accredited by the Better Business Bureau through the “Wise Giving Alliance Standards.” For more information, or to schedule an interview, contact Michelle Jones mjones@m25m.org at Matthew 25: Ministries (513) 793-6256, or visit https://m25m.org/.

ABOUT AIRLINK: Airlink is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization delivering critical aid to communities in crisis by providing free airlift and logistical solutions to nonprofit partners, changing how the humanitarian community responds to disasters worldwide. Its network includes over 150 aid organizations and more than 50 commercial and charter airlines. Since its inception in 2010, Airlink has flown over 10,000 relief workers and transported nearly 8,000,000 pounds of humanitarian cargo, directly helping over 35 million people impacted by natural and man-made disasters. Contact: Andrew Williams, Airlink Director of Communications  Email: awilliams@airlinkflight.org  Phone: 202-830-8514