You don’t have to be a news junkie to know that an awful lot of people around the world are in some pretty horrific situations these days. Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, wars, drought, famine, political unrest—you can’t help but hear about the disasters and problems that have cropped up. One thing is certain: there are a lot of hurting folks out there.

        The focus of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), a faith-based organization whose home is in Nampa, is to help hurting folks across the globe through aviation, learning technology services, and communications. They partner with more than 600 nonprofit, local government, and mission organizations worldwide to provide isolated and hurting people with vital services and goods.

        One of MAF’s many functions is disaster response. With operational footprints in 32 countries, MAF can respond quickly to disasters around the globe, providing personnel, aircraft, communication equipment, and supplies when and where they are needed. For example, when the huge earthquake hit Haiti in January 2010, MAF played a pivotal role in assisting outside agencies in getting aid where it was so desperately needed. It established a satellite communication center at the Port-au-Prince airport, allowing relief agencies to effectively communicate with those in and outside of Haiti. The MAF hangar was a logistics point for aid organizations bringing food, water, medicines, and other relief supplies into the devastated country. And MAF relief flights transported teams of medical and relief workers to remote areas.

        In addition to disaster relief, MAF focuses on medical assistance, evangelism and church nurturing, community development, and training and development for indigenous people. With its aircraft and pilots, MAF can get doctors and nurses, teachers and trainers, and missionaries and workers to places that are difficult to reach, and in doing so, improve or save the lives of people in desperate need.

        MAF depends on contributions from churches, individuals, and foundations to fund its programs. On its website, maf.org, you can see exactly how donations, no matter how small, can make a difference in lives: $4 can deliver five meals to a family in Haiti, $10 buys a quart of oil for a plane, $5 delivers 140 vaccines for children. You can adopt a plane for $1 a day, or donate money to support a specific missionary.

        Mission Aviation Fellowship also has local needs, but not necessarily of the “things” variety. MAF’s wishlist is more of a “people” list. They need volunteers to do everything from: office work to construction, landscaping to giving tours, and helping with events to working in the MAF machine shop. They welcome groups—like Scout troops and youth groups—that can help for a few hours or a few days. They even have some folks who spend the summer at MAF’s onsite RV park and help out wherever they’re needed. If you want to volunteer with MAF, they’ll find a place for you!

        Another way you can help is with iDonate. Through iDonate, people can give things like old cars, cellphones, etc.  iDonate sells the items and gives the funds to MAF to use in its ministry work. Check it out at www.idonate.com/nonprofit/mission-aviation-fellowship.

        If you’d like to donate, volunteer, or learn more about MAF, visit www.maf.org or call 498-0800 or (800) FLYS-MAF (359-7623).

Donna Bankhead is a local contributing writer.