Clothes, Cash Pouring In For Romania
After two months, David and Anni Ryan Meyer have their living room and garage back.
Sunday, nearly 12 tons of clothing bound for Romania were boxed, inspected and trucked from their Spokane home to Fairchild Air Force Base by members of the Washington State Air National Guard.
After a series of scheduling conflicts, Anni Ryan Meyer, co-president of Northwest Medical Teams’ Spokane chapter, said a humanitarian flight to Bucharest has been scheduled Jan. 14.
Next week, the Guard will load the material onto pallets for transport in a KC-135.
Since the story of a Spokane orphanage construction team’s efforts in Romania were reported in The Spokesman-Review Oct. 20, tons of clothing and nearly $60,000 in cash have been donated for that country’s orphans.
Ryan Meyer and co-president Celeste Shaw delivered 117 boxes to Romania in October. The bulk of the shipment, however, has been delayed due to a conflict with Northwest Medical Teams’ Christmas aid to orphanages.
But the delay has not slowed the giving.
One member of the original team, Kristi Smith of Hayden Lake, showed a videotape of orphanage repair at New Life Community Church and raised $16,000 in pledges.
Residents of Republic, Wash., quietly filled boxes, sewed a quilt and then mailed their donations to Ryan Meyer.
Arielle Ring and Val Darling, sixth-graders from Mullan Road School, started a candle and ornament-making business to benefit the orphans. They’ve raised more than $2,500.
The girls joined Ryan Meyer’s mother, National Guard members and other volunteers Sunday in packing boxes.
Now, Ryan Meyer, owner of Ryan House Studio of Stained Glass, and her husband, an attorney, can park inside and find their living room floor.
Earlier this fall, the couple’s three children lost all of their shoes when volunteers inadvertently boxed them up.
“They missed a mismatched pair of boots and Johnnie wore them for a week,” Ryan Meyer said with a laugh. “I know that somewhere in Romania is that matching pair.”
, DataTimes