Gifts for shipping help Cross deliver food, medical supplies, and other much-needed goods to the poor who need them most.

 

Generous corporations often donate life-saving supplies to Cross, which we in turn ship to the poor overseas. Other times, we buy the desperately needed commodities on the worldwide market and ship those goods directly to the poor. By harnessing our purchasing power, buying in bulk and buying where the cost is lowest, we are able to realize much greater savings than if we sent the cash to our ministries to purchase the items themselves.

Whether goods are donated or purchased, we rely on gifts to the Shipping Fund to help Cross meet expenses incurred in getting items to ministries overseas. Expenses include freight costs to get goods from the donor or vendor to our warehouse; warehouse expenses; and overseas freight costs, usually by ship, though emergencies sometimes call for air freight costs. Goods are usually shipped in a "container," the trailer portion of a semi-truck.

Gifts made to the Shipping Fund to deliver goods to the poor result in an incredible "bang for the buck" for our donors.  This is because shipping costs represent a fraction of the value of the goods being shipped. Gifts to the Shipping Fund continue to be one of the most important gifts you can make to help the poor.