STORY
Lima Seventh-day Adventist Church Leads Community in Sending Full Relief Container to Hurricane-Hit Jamaica
February 12, 2026
Ohio Conference
The relief shipment included essential food items, clothing, sanitary products, and cleaning supplies. Support for the effort was widespread, with generous donations from the Lima Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Piqua Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the Bellefontaine Seventh-day Adventist Church, as well as from individuals throughout the Lima area and surrounding communities.
The largest contribution came from Beckman & Gast Co., a food company based in St. Henry, Ohio. Under the leadership of Operations Manager Paul Moorman, the company donated a substantial amount of canned food and provided significant financial support to help offset the container's shipping costs.
"The generosity shown by Beckman & Gast Co. was truly instrumental in making this effort possible," said Dr. Courtney Simons.
Wright State University-Lake Campus also played a key role in supporting the initiative. The University's Outreach Department, led by Dr. Dane Daniel, organized a food drive that collected several boxes of non-perishable items for shipment.
"This partnership reflects what can happen when universities and communities work together to serve others," said Dr. Daniel.
One especially moving story from the outreach effort featured Brynn Leyman, an 11-year-old sixth-grader at Celina Elementary School. After learning about the hurricane's impact on Jamaica, Brynn remembered that her second-grade teacher was from the country. Motivated by that personal connection, she organized her family and members of her community to donate several boxes of supplies.
"Brynn's initiative reminds us that compassion has no age limit," said Pastor Carl Brooks, pastor of the Lima Seventh-day Adventist district of churches.
Representing the corporate partner that made the largest contribution, Paul Moorman emphasized the company's long-standing commitment to giving back. "Since the founding of our company nearly 100 years ago, the principle of stewardship has been part of who we are," said Moorman. "When Dr. Simons shared this project with me, it was a natural fit. We were able to develop a plan to help people in great need while also promoting the value of stewardship."
Church leaders expressed sincere gratitude for the collective generosity that enabled them to fill and ship an entire 40-foot container of relief supplies. The effort stands as a powerful example of how faith organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and individuals can work together to respond meaningfully to global crises.
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