BY STEVE CRAIN

Special to The Pilot

"Many Jewish people are migrating to Israel," says Tony Haywood, of West End. "Israel makes housing available to newcomers, but no material provisions are in those houses or apartments. Some immigrants arrive with little or nothing."

Haywood and his wife, Donna, who founded Helping Hands Ministry in 1996, are collecting blankets, quilts, comforters, adult diapers and warm clothing to send to Israel. Only items listed may be shipped; the deadline for contributing items is Sept. 15.

"Helping Hands Ministry is a nondenominational Christian ministry that delivers goods at no charge to the poor all over the world," Haywood says. "We've shipped humanitarian items to more than 20 countries."

Haywood met Barry Feinman, founder of Jezreel International, at a TECH (Technical Exchange Christian Healthcare) conference in Boone, last year.

TECH (www.techmd.org) is a membership organization representing more than 140 nonprofit Christian medical relief organizations. Haywood plans to ship collected-for-Israel items through Jezreel International to Nitzanei Oz, an Israeli settlement whose name in Hebrew literally means "Buds of Strength."

"The shipment is for the Joseph >Project >in Nitzanei Oz," Haywood says. "Once it arrives, it will be distributed to 30 different >humanitarian-aid projects in Israel. If you can help, it will be a huge blessing."

For further information, call Tony Haywood at (910) 690-5527 or email him at tony.haywood1@gmail.com.