news article
Conference-wide effort sends $160,000 in supplies to Red Bird Mission
December 16, 2025 / By David Alexander, Red Bird Mission Team Coordinator / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor’s note: The following message was shared on behalf of David Alexander to the Upper New York Conference, highlighting the generosity, rising costs, and ongoing need for support that make the Red Bird Mission’s annual ministry possible.
On Wednesday, December 3, 2025, our crew delivered 2,626 shoeboxes filled with personal hygiene supplies for men, women, girls, and boys to the Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Kentucky. Along with the shoeboxes, we transported 10,000 pounds of additional supplies in two 26-foot box trucks. These included numerous sets of sheets, blankets, pillows, diapers, knitted hats and scarves, pajama sets, new clothes, school supplies, backpacks, and many miscellaneous items. Altogether, the value of the items taken to the Red Bird Mission exceeded $160,000.
This mission is not inexpensive to operate. Truck rental alone cost $9,000 this year and is expected to increase by $1,000 per truck next year. The total cost of the 2024 trip was $12,500, covering truck rental, fuel, meals, and hotel rooms. We work hard to keep expenses as low as possible without compromising the safety of our drivers.
Looking ahead to 2026, we anticipate total costs to reach approximately $15,000 due to the rising price of truck rentals. We are asking for your continued support for this vital mission of love to the Red Bird Mission. Without these efforts, many people in that region would face a bleak Christmas. To help reduce expenses, our volunteers are willing to use their own vehicles and fuel to pick up shoeboxes and related items and bring them to Endwell, which could save approximately $2,800 by avoiding the rental of a smaller truck. We will also be asking local churches, when possible, to deliver their shoeboxes and related items to Endwell, helping further control costs. In addition, we are in discussions with several large truck rental companies in hopes of securing better pricing. This mission is funded entirely by local churches, as we do not receive financial support from any outside sources.
Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for 2026. God will find a way to provide for this important mission.
Thank you again for your support, and God bless you.