The last few days have been a blur of activity and work as many across Alabama, Tennessee, and other places in the nation that have jumped in to help those suffering from Ukraine aggression. Dad will write more later today about the status of things, but we wanted to send some quick info about the flourish of activity in Montgomery, AL and Columbia, TN.
Montgomery, AL
Dalraida church of Christ (our home/overseeing congregation) has been working hard using our warehouse to get medical supplies together that could be airlifted to Poland and also prepare buckets and other items. It has been amazing to see the outpouring of support from our church family and those in the community. We had two workdays — Monday and Tuesday — working at the warehouse and had a great turnout from those able to come help.
WSFA (the local NBC affiliate) and WAKA (CBS affiliate) covered the work at the warehouse on Monday and we received a huge amount of local support and response (donations, comments on Facebook, emails and website inquiries) after it aired on Monday night. Watch both reports below.
Read the news coverage from Monday and Tuesday by clicking the links below:
- https://www.wsfa.com/2022/03/07/montgomery-church-providing-relief-ukrainian-refugees/
- https://www.alabamanews.net/2022/03/08/dalraida-church-of-christ-ships-multiple-containers-of-supplies-to-ukraine-refugees/
- https://www.alabamanews.net/2022/03/07/dalraida-church-of-christ-packs-supplies-for-ukranian-refugees/
Yesterday, after loading the container that will be shipped from Mobile, AL, dad traveled to Atlanta, GA to deliver four pallets of medical supplies that will be airlifted to Poland using some private carriers. There has been some confusion about airlifting items…we have NOT been able to get the USAF to assist in giving us space to airlift…but we have been able to procure some cooperation with private carriers who are taking items to Poland. So we were able to get these pallets to the airport so that they can be sent to help those in need in Poland and Ukraine.
Columbia, TN
The brethren in Columbia, TN have been working hard over the past two weeks to put together more than 1300 buckets! The impact and cooperation in that community among the Christians has been wonderful. My sister, Bekah (Kachelman) Coggins, and her husband, Brian, have led the charge up there and have been joined by many from Graymere church of Christ and other area congregations. Mom and dad were able to see their work first-hand last weekend when they traveled up there for my nephew’s birthday celebration, but the pics and videos that Bekah has sent have been so great to see! Brethren working together for a common need can only bring them closer together! The response and comments online have been overwhelming and you can see the impact that this has made in the Columbia area among the church especially.
Bekah sent me a brief email summary this morning and wanted to share:
Graymere church of Christ has been working with several other congregations to collect buckets to send to Poland. On February 24, we started the bucket collecting process. Not even 2 weeks later, we have had several packing parties, received donations and buckets from individuals and congregations, and Graymere now has 1,306 buckets packed with plans to finish in the next week. A group has been shopping with donations sent in, organizing and prepping for packing times.
Bekah (Kachelman) Coggins
You all just have to see the pics from some of their packing parties! Truly an awesome thing to see the body of Christ working together like this.
Kinnley Coggins holding up a bucket 
Packing buckets 
Kachelman grandkids (and others) after helping 
Packing buckets 
Rachel (Kachelman) Townsend helping with buckets 
Overview of one bucket packing party 
Kinnley loading buckets 
Makayla Townsend working with supplies 
Cason Coggins putting stickers on buckets 
Cason Coggins with a stack of buckets 
Brian Coggins sporting his tshirt of support for Ukraine 
Supplies on pews (Kinnley behind) 
Packing buckets 
More packing party 
Working hard at packing buckets 
Pitching in and packing buckets
Thank you to all who have pitched in and helped so far with this relief effort!! If you are getting this report and have taken pics of the things you have done, please email or text them to us so that we can share with others.
Dad’s Trip to Poland
Dad will be leaving on Sunday, March 13 to go to Poland for three weeks. I will let him elaborate more on his plans before he leaves, but he hopes to lay the groundwork for the distribution of the buckets and aid in the country, meet with Christians (both Polish and Ukrainian refugees) and hopefully to have some bible studies with those refugees who have come from Ukraine. Please keep him (and our family) in your prayers as he travels! He hopes to post daily reports online while he travels, so encourage others to sign up to receive the updates.
While he is gone, if there are any questions feel free to contact me or Andrew “Gif” Gifford at Dalraida and we will try to help in any way we can!
Remember those in Ukraine in your prayers today and tomorrow!
John Kachelman III
(Montgomery, AL)
