Ralph E. Plumb, President, International
Aid and Billy L. Tenity, President, REAP
In the 60's and 70's the present headquarters, now known as International Aid, served as the midwest regional office for World Vision, a large relief and development agency headquartered in Southern California. Through the generosity of the people in western Michigan, this 'midwest regional office' developed a strong network for processing donated goods as well as helping numerous missionary families departing for domestic and foreign service.
In the Western Michigan headquarters, a wide selection of medical and general relief products are stored for use by relief workers, missionaries, and service institutions for shipment throughout the world. International Aid (IA) also responds to the personal-care and resource needs of missionaries through the Missionary Supply and Service Center.
International Aid has six major program areas:
Disaster Relief:
Relief supplies are shipped quickly to major man-made and natural disaster areas - often arriving within hours of the tragic event.
General Relief:
Ongoing relief supplies are provided to church-sponsored programs and service institutions who care for the poor, needy and disadvantaged.
Mission Assistance:
Personal, health-care and other projects, media resources, as well as furlough contacts are provided to both long and short-term missionaries before they depart for their field assignments.
Medical Programs:
Co-ordination of the flow of both basic and technical medical equipment and supplies into many areas of the world happens weekly at International Aid. Pharmaceuticals and medical textbooks are provided to clinics and hospitals who are in desperate need of these valued items . Foreign service opportunities are provided for health-care professionals who seek to give back some of their skills and talents to needy parts of the world. (MediShare Part B)
Development Programs:
The active sponsorship of community-based self-help programs like well drilling and vegetable gardening help to greatly multiply the effectiveness of the short-term relief services provided by IA.
Domestic Assistance:
IA supplies used clothing, furniture, and other requested articles to rural and inner-city thrift store operations. Relief supplies are also provided to the general population in times of natural disaster.
Visit their Web Site: International Aid/Reap
For further and detailed information please contact:
Alan Talens, M.D., MPH, Director of Community-Based Health Care
Dean Agee, Vice President of Advancement
Phone: (616) 846-7490
Fax: (616) 846-3842
E-mail: International Aid
17011 W. Hickory
Spring Lake, MI 49456-9712