By Gary Bennett

THE TEAM of volunteers at the Compassionate Resource Warehouse have a huge dilemma on their hands. With so much to do, how in the world can they find time to celebrate?

In all the frenetic activity of collecting, sorting and loading piles and piles – and more piles – of valuable goods for Haiti and other needy locales, taking time out to rest on their laurels is completely out of the picture. Yet a significant milestone of ministry begs to be acknowledged.

This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the humble beginning of the ministry – which now has four sites in the Greater Victoria area.

It all started in response to the Hurricane Mitch disaster which struck Honduras in late fall of 1998. A team of people from Victoria traveled there to assist with the rebuilding, and to visit the refugee camps. Dell Marie Wergeland, who is now director of the ministry, was on that team.  

“When we witnessed the devastation, we felt badly that we had so much and these people had so little. When we got back home, we were hit with the idea: ‘Hey! Let’s send a container!’”

Since that was accomplished, things have been rolling along nicely. However, the operation got off to a very slow start.

It took 18 months to collect enough goods for that first shipping container. It was sent off September 3, 2000.  

With that job complete, the volunteers said “Let’s do it again!” And so they did. The initial goal was to send two or three containers per year. But it wasn’t long before things began to snowball. Since that time, more than 260 containers have been sent to locations all over the world.  

These containers are of the 40-foot variety, hauled by trucks and then placed on shipping vessels. They are filled to the maximum with hospital beds, wheelchairs and walkers, school supplies, textbooks, desks, tables, blackboards, non-reclaimed bicycles donated by police departments, sewing machines, hardware, tools, household supplies, computers, sports equipment, toys, children’s clothing, and medical and dental supplies and equipment.  

Needless to say, the work of the Warehouse is a huge undertaking, employing the time and energies of a full army of volunteers. Lately, with the strong response to the Haiti earthquake disaster, the team of volunteers has swelled in size to more than 150.

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“The volunteers are the backbone of this ministry,” said Wergeland. “There’s no way we would make it without their tireless work and compassion. Last year, over 30,000 volunteer hours were logged.”

With the way things have started off this year, that number could soon be surpassed.

The Warehouse ministry captures the imagination of young and old alike. The spectrum of donors stretches from pre-school to senior citizens’ homes. Recently, Wergeland was informed of a five year old Victoria area birthday boy who asked his friends, in lieu of the traditional presents, to bring toothbrushes and toothpaste for Haiti.

At the other end of the country and age-span was a 90 year old man from Newfoundland.

After his wife died, he had taught himself to knit; and after producing a box full of hand-knitted dishcloths, he sent them in the mail to the Warehouse.  

Most of the support for this ministry comes from churches and communities all over Vancouver Island, including Parksville, Port Hardy, Tofino, Ucluelet, Nanaimo, Qualicum – and of course, the Greater Victoria district.  

The collection of goods from all of these communities is just half the battle. The goods need to then be sent, and the costs of sending shipping containers is formidable.  

Generally, the shipping costs range from $7,000 to $10,000 – and those sent to Africa can cost up to $15,000.

Those expenses are most often borne by other charities and ministries, but sometimes individuals and businesses step up to sponsor the shipping costs.

From the task of sending one container to Honduras 10 years ago to the challenge of sending six containers to Haiti in one month alone, the volunteers of the Warehouse have seen God work in some pretty amazing ways.

In the midst of it all, it’s time to pause to thank God, and to celebrate 10 years of fruitful ministry.  

On March 20, at 6 pm, a 10th year Anniversary Celebration Banquet will be held at Victoria First Church of the Nazarene. Tickets are $10, with all proceeds going to the Compassionate Resource Warehouse.

Contact 250.381.4483, or crwarehouse.ca.

But after the celebration? It’s back to work!

March 2010