Central spearheads relief effort
Central Church of Christ and its benevolence program are serving as a collection point for a consortium of Midstate congregations sending food, clothing, household appliances and other necessities to the coastal states ravaged by three successive hurricanes.
“Several thousand dollars donated by Warren County residents have already been sent,” said Central elder Jimmy Griffith. The money is to help victims of hurricanes Charley and Frances, whose one-two punch left 41 people dead in Florida and Georgia. “Obviously, the need was great before Ivan hit. The size and ferocity of Ivan just opened a whole new chapter in devastation and human suffering,” Griffith added.
Central is one of several congregations supporting a permanent humanitarian relief program under the supervision of Church of Christ elders, preachers and deacons headquartered in Nashville. From a large warehouse on Allied Drive, volunteers prepare and ship aid packages to areas of acute need all over the United States, Griffith explained.
“We’ve found this consortium to be the most cost-efficient way to help because of the tremendous leverage it has in buying in volume at a discount,” said Joe Braxton, chairman of Central’s benevolence committee.
“Since all the workers are volunteers, their overhead expenses – transportation costs, utilities, postage – are among the lowest of any major charity. I understand their overhead is only about 15 percent, so that 85 cents of every dollar received winds up in aid in the hands of hurricane victims,” he continued.
Thanks to its organizational simplicity, the Church of Christ aid consortium can respond almost instantly to crisis situations on a large scale, Griffith observed.
To make a donation or for more information, local residents may call Braxton at 473-8658 or Percy Phifer at 473-5732. Interested citizens may also call the Central church office at 473-6537.