Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras –
Through use of the Denton Program, Heavens Reach Ministries' donated cargo finally reached its home Dec. 3, 2015, after a brief stay on Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras.
Heavens Reach Ministries, a nongovernmental organization in the United States, donated essential items to include; furniture, medical equipment, school equipment, a tractor, and a 15 passenger van to Alcanzando Desde El Cielo Ministries in Honduras.
"We help people live a healthier, more sustainable life physically and spiritually," said Dean Lowman, founder and president of both Heavens Reach Ministries and Alcanzando Desde El Cielo.
Lowman added that it is a very long process to get these items shipped here, but entirely worth it.
"The tractor is going to be used for pretty much everything we have going on from; mowing lawns, constructing soccer fields, and preparing farm land," Lowman said. "The van will be used to transport people to and from hospitals, airports, and other remote medical clinics."
In addition to Alcanzando Desde El Cielo, other organizations throughout Honduras will make use of the shipment, to help those in need and who might benefit from the services and capabilities the equipment brings to their region.
The donated cargo was delivered through use of the Denton Program. The program, created to allow private U.S. citizens and organizations to use space available on U.S. military cargo planes, helps to transport humanitarian goods to countries in need.
According to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Carlos Moya, Director Civil-Military Operations, in 2015 alone, 146,000 pounds of cargo valued at $765,000 passed through Soto Cano AB via the Denton Program.
"The Denton Program has allowed U.S. donations to be disseminated throughout 11 of the 18 Departments within Honduras and impacting an estimated 211,000 Honduran citizens," added Moya.
Donations on these shipments vary, with the usual consisting of medical and hospital equipment and supplies, food items, clothes, and children's articles. The more unique items include vehicles and construction materials and even a flat bed trailer with well drilling equipment that helped non-government organizations construct wells for provide clean water for rural communities.
The Denton Program at Soto Cano AB is overseen by the base's joint partners in the Civil Military Operations section, Joint Task Force-Bravo with support from the Air Terminal Operations Center, 612th Air Base Squadron, to help unload the cargo.