At least once every week, a twin-engine turboprop aircraft leaves Venice Municipal Airport for the Caribbean island of Hispaniola laden with more than a ton of supplies for the mission field. Venice-based nonprofit Agape Flights has been delivering mail and cargo to missionaries in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas for more than 40 years. This time of year, their freight begins to take on a slightly seasonal tone.
“Missionaries have to plan farther ahead than most of us,” says Agape’s Director of Cargo and Logistics Bruce Bosco. “I started seeing Christmas packages before Labor Day.”
With nearly 300 missionaries depending on Agape’s weekly deliveries, the cargo shipments are usually an eclectic mix of Amazon.com boxes, food rations, water filters, solar power equipment, and whatever else it takes to live and serve in a developing nation.
But on one special flight, just before Thanksgiving every year, the cargo's hold on Agape’s Embraer 110 ‘Bandit’ is packed tight with comfort food – and lots of it! The Agape Flights Thanksgiving Dinner Project ships enough turkeys and trimmings to the islands to feed a small army – with 'boatloads' of pumpkin pie and whipped cream to make sure that army is good and full.
These complete Thanksgiving meal packages are courtesy of Agape’s donors, intended to be a blessing and encouragement to missionaries and their families who have given up the comforts of home for a life of service to others. Students at Venice Christian School decorate the delivery boxes, and the Agape Flights volunteers and staff do the shopping, pack the boxes, and load the plane.
Agape Flights offers free tours and informational packets to locals and visitors interested in learning more about its work.
How to Support Agape's Misson
Agape Flights is supported by many partners, but always welcomes financial contributions to maintain and broaden its Christian mission. Learn about how best to donate to the organization, including the Missionary Thanksgiving Dinner Project, visit AgapeFlights.com or call 941.488.0990.
These complete Thanksgiving meals (are) a blessing and encouragement to missionaries and their families who have given up the comforts of home for a life of service to others.