Matthew 25: Ministries is a nonprofit organization based in Blue Ash dedicated to international humanitarian aid and disaster relief. Since its inception in 1991, the nonprofit has been able to go from carrying suitcases of medical supplies to small villages in Nicaragua to now distribution 15 million pounds of product each year that reaches 20 million people worldwide.
“Give items, give financially, or give time. It’s not right for me to tell someone how they should serve, it’s up to them to decide how they should serve.” says CEO Tim Mettey. Basically anything someone has to offer is accepted here. Mettey stresses that there is no effort too little to make a difference to someone in need.
Volunteer
Matthew 25: Ministries is looking for volunteers of all ages with any range of abilities to help with sorting and repackaging the tons of donated items. Walking through the 168,000-square-foot facility between shifts, it’s obvioushow huge the place actually is. The warehouse organization is so efficient with pallets of donations stacked to the ceiling, it’s like walking through an altruistic Costco.
Matthew 25: Ministries could be considered low-maintenance volunteering — they just ask people to drop in when they have time; there are no commitments or an extensive training before you start. “Every thing we have we can teach anyone to do in 5 minutes.” Mettey says.
Volunteers can help by sorting through cans of latex paint for their Rainbow Paint Reblending Program. The program takes paint that would normally go to waste, opens it all up, combines like colors and repackages the paint which is then donated to housing projects around the world.
Or help build personal care kits that are sent to people in need, either living in an area without access or having lost everything in a disaster. This station is designed for younger volunteers. Shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash and other hygiene products are separated into bins and arranged in a circle. This makes it a simple task to grab a plastic bag and pick one product from each bin to fill it.
Donate
If you don’t have a ton of extra time in the day, think about cleaning out a closet or the pantry to find items for donation. Any consumable item you can donate is a gift to someone facing the aftermath of a disaster or living in a developing country. Medical supplies, clothing, hygiene products, non-perishable foods, cleaning supplies and toys are just some of the items that Matthew 25: Ministries is always accepting.
The organization collects empty pill bottles as part of the Recycling Program. Donated pill bottles, clean with the labels removed and the lids on, can be reused. If a lid is lost or you don't feel like cleaning the bottles, they can be shredded and turned in for cash that is put back into the organization. About a dozen giant bins of donated pill bottles, that would most likely be in a landfill otherwise, are processed every day for recycling.
Monetary donations are appreciated. “If someone writes us a check for disaster relief, 100-percent of that will go to the disaster relief.” Mettey says. Because there is only one facility, Matthew 25: Ministries is able to keep its overhead cost very low, allowing 99 percent of the cash donations to go directly into service programs.
Just by stepping foot in the facility it was evident that Matthew 25: Ministries is dedicated to what it is doing. The organization began with one man’s compassionate idea to deliver medical supplies to a small village in Central America. Today, it celebrates 25 years of providing humanitarian aid to more than 60 countries.
Donations are accepted at the Matthew 25: Ministries Warehouse: 11060 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash. To learn more about Matthew 25: Ministries, visit m25m.org.
