Orphan Grain Train - Kansas Regional Division

Kansas Regional Division

Fall 2007 Report

From John White:

Immediately after the Greensburg disaster in May, kits of personal hygiene items were delivered to the Red Cross at Pratt. These were followed by deliveries to Greensburg of two water tanker trucks, a mobile office and a modular chapel building built in Wayne, Neb. This was done with the help of Orphan Grain Train's volunteer Disaster Relief Team in Norfolk, Neb., LCMS World Relief and Human Care and Laborers for Christ.

The mobile chapel unit is delivered to Greensburg. Photos provided by John White.

Mobile office unit on-site.

With flooding in southeast Kansas later in the summer, one of the water tankers was used to provide water for Fredonia, a community of approximately 2,500 people.

Clothes, school supplies, medical equipment and supplies continue to be collected and sent to the national OGT warehouse in Norfolk, Neb., and from there are shipped to needy people across the U.S. and around the world. Since Nov. 1, 2004, over 10,000 apple boxes' worth of humanitarian aid has been packed and shipped by Kansas Division volunteers.

John White, Chairman, Kansas Regional Division

Fall 2006

Orphan Grain Train volunteers manned the Johnsonville "Big Taste Grill" at the Manhattan, Kans. Country Stampede June 22-25 to benefit Orphan Grain Train.

Approximately 4,000 brats were cooked and served at this year's 3 1/2-day music event.

Volunteers came from 12 different communities to serve on 7 different shifts.

Kansas Division's Ford E350 mini-bus.

Highlights from 2005

A 2000 Ford E350 mini-bus for moving volunteers or boxes, purchased for $4,000 thanks to a foundation grant!
Our Kansas packing locations for clothes are at Bucklin, Holyrood, St. John Lutheran, Herington, Phillipsburg and Wheaton. Clothes were also gathered from members of St. John Lutheran Alma, Trinity Lutheran Burlington, St. Paul Lutheran Duluth, Immanuel Lutheran Junction City, St. Luke's Lutheran Manhattan, and Bethlehem Lutheran Sylvan Grove.
Six hundred twenty-two quilts, Kansas made, were sent to the Int'l Orphan Grain Train warehouse at Norfolk, Nebraska.
73 bicycles, 5 wheelchairs and 3 exercise bikes were delivered to the State Correctional Facilities at Norton and Ellsworth. 50 repaired bicycles and 10 wheelchairs were picked up from these facilities.
Donated by Geary County Hospital and shipped to Norfolk: 22 pieces of medical equipment that included an EKG machine, EEG machine, lab analyzer, exam table, 35 boxes of medical supplies, 5 patient room chairs, a Pulmo-Aide Nebulizer, and 15 patient monitors. Ellsworth Co. Hospital provided a large quantity of equipment and supplies that included: an exam table, hospital beds, oxygen canister cart and an X-ray developer unit.
Over 500 hygiene kits, each containing a bowl, spoon, 2 pairs of socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, 2 pkg. band aids and 2 pkg. of moisturized sanitary tissues were packed by the youth at the Int'l Lutheran Laymen’s League convention in Topeka and loaded by the youth onto an Orphan Grain Train semi-truck for delivery to hurricane victims.
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League prepared hygiene kits with coloring books at many Kansas congregations that were delivered to the Int'l warehouse at Norfolk, Neb. Children of Faith Lutheran Topeka packed 88 backpacks and Immanuel Lutheran Lawrence packed 30 backpacks for delivery by Orphan Grain Train to hurricane victims.
In Kansas, fish feeds, to raise funds to meet shipping costs, were conducted at St. Paul Lutheran Duluth, First Lutheran Phillipsburg, Faith Lutheran Topeka and Our Redeemer Lutheran Herington. To schedule a fish feed, contact: John White (785) 543-5717.
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Wamego conducted a special drive for items to send for hurricane relief and collected 51 boxes (approx. 2,000 lbs) that were picked up by an Orphan Grain Train semi-truck.

To volunteer or ask questions: 1-402-371-9313 or email ogtrelief@cableone.net. To obtain the quarterly newsletter from Norfolk, write to:

ORPHAN GRAIN TRAIN
PO Box 1466
Norfolk, Nebraska 68702.

Donations may be sent to: Norfolk or Kansas Division Orphan Grain Train, c/o John White- Treasurer, PO Box 21 Stuttgart, Ks. 67661, Ph: 1-785-543-5717.

Donations to Orphan Grain Train are now eligible for the “Giving Plus” (50% supplemental gift) program of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Click here to download and print a Giving Plus^® form.

In the year 2005, $16,663 was sent from the Kansas Division to the Int'l ORPHAN GRAIN TRAIN office in Norfolk.

Others on the Kansas Division Committee are: Rev. Joel Hiesterman 1035 1st St., Phillipsburg, Ks. 67661, (785) 543-5046, jhiesterman@juno.com; Ginny Riebhoff 2201 1000 Ave. Herington, Ks. 67449, lovegod@tctelco.net; Ken McCosh 2209 Stone Post Rd., Manhattan, Ks. 66502 (785) 539-8064, kmccosh@juno.com. Advisory: Steve Hanschu, Emporia, and Rev. Don White, Atwood.

Kansas Division's Emergency Response vehicle

Kansas Regional Division
John White
P.O. Box 21
Stuttgart, KS 67670
(785) 543-5717
kansas.div@ogt.org