As the death toll grows to more than 5,000 amid the rubble of what Typhoon Haiyan left behind in the Philippines, one local ministry is working to get much-needed supplies to the country.

The monster typhoon left behind catastrophic conditions on six Philippine islands on Nov. 8.

“Aware of the great need in the Philippines in terms of its social and economic issues regarding poverty, the JVM Outreach Ministries together with its ministry partners have been committed to do its part to share the love of Jesus Christ especially to the very poor and needy,” said Velma Moseley of JVM, who is a native of the Philippines, but is now a U.S. citizen. The ministry already works to help the people of the Philippines through numerous projects, but felt the need to extend its relief efforts after the typhoon.

“In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, the need to extend help is even far more greater than before, thus, JVM Outreach Ministries immediately packed and shipped 20 big boxes of relief good filled with new or slightly used children and adult clothes and shoes,” Moseley said. “God has enormously blessed us with an abundant supply of used clothing at our center.”

Now, JVM is asking for the community’s help.

“We urgently need monetary help to ship the big boxes of clothes, shoes and some toys for the displaced children,” she said. “We are also accepting donations of non-perishable food items such as rice, 5-minute or instant grits, oatmeal, instant noodles, canned goods like spam or smoked sausages, sardines, hot drinks. New or slightly used foldable hand carry traveling bags are also needed to put the victims’ belongings.”

Moseley also said that hygiene kits, flip-flops, small to regular size cooking pots with cooking and eating utensils.

For children, Moseley requested coloring books and crayons to help entertain them.

“A lot of people lost their loved ones,” she said. “It breaks my heart, and I can’t stop my tears watching the news, hearing and knowing what my former countrymen are going through. I am blessed to be in the United States of America now.

“Though times are hard here, but to me, life here in US is far way ahead and abundantly blessed compared to the rest of the world especially the Philippines,” she said. “Growing up in the Philippines, I know what it is to be in poverty. Going to school with an empty stomach or sleeping at night on Christmas or New Year’s Eve without eating a meal. But my family of nine children in the Philippines strived hard to get out of poverty, primarily with God’s help, hard work, family team efforts toward good education and a lot of prayers. God enabled us to improve our living conditions and have been able to help other needy children and families through our church ministries for more than 20 years now, and we give God the glory for what He has done. We do not need to be very rich to lend a hand! We can use what we got just like the boy who gave Jesus his two fish and five loaves of bread and Jesus multiplied it thus, feeding the multitude of people plus baskets of left-overs for them to keep.”

Anyone wishing to donate to JVM, may do so by contacting 334-429-3917 or 429-0252 or by mailing a check to JVM Outreach Ministries, PO Box 143 Brantley, AL 36009.