From Indiana to Haiti: 400 donated desks bring hope to new school – Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather | Indiana Traffic

RUSSIAVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A neighborly chat led to the donation of 400 desks and 400 chairs from a Howard County school district to a new school in Haiti.

The donation began when Western School Corp. Superintendent Kyle Zahn mentioned upcoming school renovations to his neighbor, Pat Baumer. Baumer is an ambassador and former board chair for Midwest Mission, a humanitarian relief organization.

Baumer, a former educator who saw under-resourced classrooms during a mission trip to Honduras, asked Zahn to repurpose the unused furniture for children in developing countries. That conversation sparked a large-scale effort to move the items.

Volunteers loaded the furniture into a shipping container at Western Intermediate School on Thursday. By loading the container in Indiana rather than transporting it to Midwest Mission’s Illinois headquarters, the organization saved money and ensured the furniture would reach students faster.

The shipment is headed to a new school in Haiti built by Food For The Poor, a partner of Midwest Mission.

Baumer said the surplus desks will provide hope to children elsewhere in the world, noting that every child deserves a safe and welcoming place to learn.

Executive Director Chantel Corrie and Operations Manager Ramon Ortiz of Midwest Mission traveled to Indiana to help with the loading. While in the area, the group also toured Roberts Park Methodist Episcopal Church in Indianapolis, where board member Mary Marty has coordinated hygiene kit donations for several years.

Corrie said she appreciates partners who find new uses for old items. She noted that a desk symbolizes a community’s investment in education and its future.

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