JUDSONIA — With no electricity - and no fans - a group met at a warehouse in Judsonia on Aug. 24. With sweat pouring down their faces, they sorted clothing and loaded the clothing and medical supplies into a container bound for Kiev, Ukraine, under the direction of John Kachelman, humanitarian aid shipment coordinator and pastor of the Judsonia Church of Christ. Somewhere in the Ukraine, a hospital will be able to have an eye clinic, completely furnished by items from this shipment, and orphans and poor people will be clothed.
“Kiev is where it lands. Medical equipment will be sent to hospitals without this equipment in the Ukraine. Local congregations will distribute the clothing, because they know who is in need. What used to happen is that the government would get the clothing and either sell it to a resale shop or open a resale shop and sell it,” Kachelman said.
Another shipment will go out next Thursday, and many of the items are in the Judsonia warehouse because of the generosity of a trucking firm in Batesville.
Ronnie Dowdy, owner of the trucking firm, sent an empty truck, at no charge, to the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area to pick up the items being donated and bring them to Judsonia. Included were many badly needed items of medical equipment, including walkers, bedside commodes and 20 wheelchairs. The truck was loaded in Texas in 107 degree heat, with the truck driver assisting in the loading.
Kachelman said that is the kind of benevolence and cooperation that he has seen as generous Americans pull together to make life better for those in far-away places.
“It is so great to see different ones working in harmony and peace to help alleviate the sufferings of others,” Kachelman said.
He refers to Paula Gunter, R.N., as his medical expert. Often, Kachelman receives donated medical equipment and asks Gunter to identify it. Gunter, administrative supervisor of White County Medical Center’s South Campus, identifies the medical equipment and locates equipment manuals, whenever possible.
The men of Kachelman’s congregation do most of the loading. The women work year around sorting, mending, washing and folding hospital linens and clothing.
Much of this clothing came from a church in Little Rock, and several women from the Judsonia Church of Christ congregation inspected, sorted and folded the clothes in the heat, while waiting on the container to arrive for loading. Most of the children’s clothing will go to orphanages.
Burn bandages and anesthesia carts were also part of this shipment. The next shipment will include more medical equipment and a shipment to be loaded in September will contain a large number of requested hospital linens, which were donated and included in the shipment recently loaded in Texas.
Kachelman estimates that by the end of this year, 39 containers will have been shipped into the Ukraine. Each container is 40’ long and contains a minimum of approximately $55,000 in goods; some have contained in excess of $200,000 worth of clothing and supplies.
Kachelman said he has invited Senators Vic Snyder and Blanche Lincoln to join them at the warehouse to see for themselves what tremendous aid Americans are sending to places such as the Ukraine. He believes these shipments help foster democracy in those countries.
He hopes that someday funds can be found for a warehouse that has electricity and can be heated and cooled, especially when workers and cleaning, sorting and loading shipments. The shipments go out year around and volunteers often work in very hot weather or in bitterly cold temperatures. Many of the men who help load these shipments and the women who help sort goods are 60 and above.
Kachelman has referred to them as his “over the hill” gang. However, these current shipments are being loaded after 5 p.m., so younger volunteers can join them after work.
Kachelman may be reached on his cell phone at 901-626-4538.
