Clothe — Gene Pasche

compiled by Sarah Asp | Photography by Travis Anderson

Name: Gene Pasche, 65
Hometown: Morris, Minnesota
Family: Wife, Darlene, and three grown children
Organization: Orphan Grain Train
Cause: Directing a program that feeds and clothes the hungry through missionary outreach.

Q: What specifically do you do?

A: I am very involved with Orphan Grain Train, which is 11 or 12 years old. It started when the Berlin Wall came down. Some people went over to East Germany to visit and saw the dire need of the people, so the first shipment bagged up wheat and sent grinders along so these people would have something to eat. They also saw they needed clothing, medical supplies, and things like that. So that’s how Orphan Grain Train got started.

We have 14 or 15 different districts or regions that we operate. I’m director for the Minnesota North district. Here in Morris, there are about 10 of us who volunteer on Saturday mornings. We work in conjunction with the Salvation Army to get clothes and load them into containers. The loaded containers can go almost anywhere in the world.

Orphan Grain Train sent a container to India three days before the tsunami. When they found out about the disaster, they rerouted it to the coast where it was needed.

Last year Orphan Grain Train sent over 120 containers, either domestic or overseas shipments.

Q: How long have you been doing this activity?

A: I have been involved about eight years. It’s been three years now that I’ve been district director. It’s a pretty neat thing. The reason we’re doing it is to spread the Word of God.

Before we send a container, we have a person on the other end, or a mission station. We have stations in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Those three countries are the ones we’re really working with. We’re working with the local churches, which distribute clothing and food and medical supplies. We want to tell them about our Lord Jesus. That’s the reason why we’re doing it. It’s not just humanitarian aid—it’s a mission, a church mission, to share the Word with people around the world. Most of these people are very receptive to learning more about Jesus. It’s just saying “thank you” to our Lord for what He’s done for us, and this is one way of doing it—sharing the Word with other people.

Q: How could I get involved?

A: It’s sad to say, but we’re always looking for money. It costs about $7 an apple box—or from $3,000 to $7,000 to ship a container. We get way more clothes than what we can possibly pack. Fund-raising is a big part of our time. We’ve got a very neat group from our local church that meets with us at Salvation Army. It’s kind of hard to get people started, but once they start it really grows on them. It’s something you look forward to doing. The work becomes fun work.

Q: When you go home at night after a long day of volunteering, how do you feel?

A: Well, it’s definitely a good feeling. I’ve been retired for three years ago and I’m probably more involved now. It’s a very good feeling.

Q: Do you believe you can change the world?

A: Every soul counts. People are responding. I guess they listen better when they have a full stomach and are warm. We know that the Spirit works, but He works in many ways. It seems like when people have a full tummy and are warm, they’re very receptive. A lot of them can’t figure out why we do this.

Three years ago I went with a group from west Fargo. We went down to Mexico and worked with the Tarmar Indians. They just don’t understand why we would come down and do something like this—put shoes and stockings on their children, bring school supplies. It’s pretty neat to watch.

Q:What do you say to the person who says, “One person’s efforts don’t make enough of a difference?”

A: Every person’s efforts make a difference. It can be in many, many ways, whether it’s coming to a fund-raiser for the Asian disaster or a fund-raiser to ship a container to Kazakhstan or Latvia or Nigeria or wherever. Every person makes a difference, definitely.

Q: Is volunteering a part of your faith?

A: It’s just saying “thank you” for what our Lord did for us. It’s a very big part of my faith life. It’s very hard to say no when I have the time; I just feel this is almost an obligation. I feel very strongly about trying to reach other people, trying to encourage people. Our time is really not our time—it’s the Lord’s time, and there’s a reason why we’re here. We should use that time to the ability and the gifts that the Lord has given us.

Q: Do you expect a reward from giving back?

A: No, that reward was given to me the day I was baptized.

Q: What’s been your favorite volunteer moment—the one that keeps you coming back?

A: When we went down to Mexico, we took shoes and stockings and school kits for the children and blankets for the parents. The “thank yous” you receive from something like that are pretty hard to describe. But it can be a lady handing you a blanket that she’s made, it can be a lot of different things…it’s pretty neat. If we can just reach that one soul that wouldn’t have been reached otherwise—that’s what it’s all about.

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