Matthew 25: Ministries ready to respond to Hurricane Ian

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Organizers of the humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization Matthew 25: Ministries say they are ready to respond to Hurricane Ian once it makes landfall.

Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph, just two mph shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

Damaging winds and rain lashed the state’s heavily populated Gulf Coast, with the Naples to Sarasota region at “highest risk” of a devastating storm surge.

It is projected to be 12 to 16 feet above ground level along with destructive waves that are expected along the southwest Florida coastline from Englewood to Bonita Beach, including Charlotte Harbor, according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory at 7 a.m.

“Residents in these areas should urgently follow any evacuation orders in effect,” it states.

Matthew 25: Ministries organizers already deployed their assessment vehicle to provide a rapid evaluation of the situation after Ian makes landfall.

“This hurricane has the potential to cause widespread catastrophic damage,” said Matthew 25′s CEO Tim Mettey. “It is critical that people in its path observe all evacuation orders. As soon as the path and impact of the storm become clear, Matthew 25 will activate our response. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who may be affected by this disaster.”

The Blue Ash-based charity’s assessment team is safely staged outside the path of the storm, ready to begin immediate need and situational evaluations once they can gain safe access to the impacted communities.

Matthew 25 says it they deployed more disaster response vehicles to the impacted areas in order to provide services and supplies to those affected.

They are also talking with partner organizations throughout the projected path of the storm to plan shipments of aid in order to meet the most urgent needs and help as many people as possible.

The vehicles are filled with P&G Personal Care Kits, household cleaning supplies, baby items, bottled water, first aid, safety supplies, and tarps.

Matthew 25′s Disaster Response Fleet includes:

Two Tide Loads of Hope Mobile Units that can complete up to 300 loads of laundry a day

Ice Unit that can produce up to 10,000 pounds of ice daily

Duracell PowerForward truck equipped to carry as many as 20,000 Duracell batteries as well as on-board charging stations for mobile devices.

Clean-Up Trailer and two panel trucks co-branded with Procter & Gamble and Cintas, which are loaded with P&G personal care kits, Cintas first aid and safety kits, and other relief supplies.

Matthew 25 is requesting donations of the following types of items to supplement existing supplies, for restocking during their response and for future disasters.

They need monetary donations. Donate online or mail checks to Matthew 25: Ministries, 11060 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash, OH 45242 (100% of donated funds designated for Hurricane Fiona will be used for the purpose intended).

They also need products donated to their facility located at 11083 Kenwood Rd, Blue Ash, OH 45242.

LIST:

• Cases of bottled water (12- and 24- count)
• Personal care products: Antibacterial soap, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, body wash, deodorant, lotion, etc.
• Cleaning supplies: Laundry detergents, general cleaner, sponges, bleach (powdered form is preferred), mops, scrub brushes, buckets, rubber gloves, etc.
• Paper products: Toilet paper, paper towels, etc.
• Baby and infant supplies: Diapers, wipes, diaper rash ointment, baby wash, baby shampoo, baby lotion, etc.
• First-aid items: Bandages, gauze, pads, first aid tape, antiseptic creams, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, latex gloves, instant cold packs, etc.
• New and in original packaging: Power tools, fans, generators, etc.

Matthew 25 responded to multiple disasters in 2022, including the flooding in Eastern Kentucky and Virginia, the Goshen tornadoes, the March tornado outbreak, flooding in Pakistan and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

So far this year, Matthew 25: Ministries has shipped approximately 750 truckloads of aid (more than 15 million pounds) to partners domestically and internationally and helped more than 18 million people.

It also is continuing to provide long-term disaster recovery for 2021 disasters such as the December tornado outbreak in Kentucky.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please include the title when you click here to report it.

Copyright 2022 WXIX. All rights reserved.