 Who
We Are
Agape
Flights is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, Christian ministry providing
continuous and critical services to over 380 affiliated missionary
families in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. Agape
continually serves these families providing coordination and
support in six critical areas of human need: supplies, education,
community health, clean water, vocational training and
micro-enterprise community development programs. Each year, Agape
Flights touches the lives of over 1,500,000 men, women and
children. They are thankful to be able to serve the needs of so
many people living in poverty. Agape is committed to sharing the
good news of Jesus Christ through the missionaries they serve. For
more information please call 941.488.0990 or e-mail gomissions@agapeflights.com.
Background
After
hearing from several missionaries in
Haiti
about the need for dependable mail and delivery service, a group
of friends in Bradenton,
Florida
gathered in Keith and Clara Starkey's living room to pray for a
way to help. The result was Agape Flights. On November 15,
1980, Agape’s inaugural flight left the
Sarasota-Bradenton
Airport, bound for Cap Haitian, Haiti. The small Cessna 411 was loaded with donated emergency supplies
and mail for about 25 missionary families.
Today,
Agape Flights is a lifeline to family, friends, supporters and
supplies for over 380 missionary
families in
Haiti
, the
Dominican Republic
and the
Bahamas. Agape Flights serves Christ by delivering hope to missionaries
living in some of the most challenging mission fields in the
world.
Named
after the Greek word used in the New Testament to describe God’s
unconditional love, “Agape” offers a ministry of love
to missionary families. They help bridge the gap between the
perception and the reality of things needed for missionaries to
accomplish their calling to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and
help the people around them.
What
We Do
- Make weekly flights to Haiti,
the Dominican Republic and Bahamas delivering mail, critical supplies,
manpower resources and equipment for
over 380 missionary families.
- Receive and
distributes millions of dollars worth of medicine, medical supplies, nutritional supplements, Bibles, school and office supplies, building materials and other mission-critical items.
- Respond to over 200 weekly requests from missionaries for information and
critical supplies.
- Provides banking and other professional services for missionaries.
- Coordinate short-term, volunteer mission teams
- Organizes missionary-initiated, self-sustaining community development projects.
- Encourages
fellowship among the missionary community.
- Sponsors revivals and retreats for missionaries and their families.
- Serve as a repair center and parts supplier.
- Utilize the Agape network to speed disaster relief directly to those in need.
Agape Flights provides services to missionaries from its hangar
at the Venice Municipal Airport. The work of its full-time staff, headed by
interim executive director Dick Armstrong, is supplemented by over
150 regular volunteers. |
Statistics
Volunteers
are the backbone of Agape. Every year, over 150 local volunteers
donate 7,000+ hours at Agape.
Overseas
missionary families donate 5,000 hours per year, meeting the
plane, processing supplies and organizing paperwork. They are also
in charge of the distribution centers in
Haiti
and the
Dominican Republic.
The
economic impact of Agape’s ministry in the local community
exceeds half a million dollars each year.
60%
of Agape’s financial support comes from individuals throughout
all 50 states and several foreign countries. 33% of support comes
from churches, religious organizations and businesses or other
organizations.
Each
quarter, every 200 hours of flight time a team of mechanics gather
to complete an extensive inspection on Agape’s plane.
Critical
Need
Agape
Flights' services are a critical need to the missionaries in Haiti,
the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. Without Agape's help
missionaries would not be able to:
1. Have a dependable mail service to receive personal mail and
other goods.
2. Receive packages and critical supplies that sustain the lives
of millions of people.
3. Provide relief efforts, education, community health, clean
water and development programs to those in need.
He has shown thee, O man, what is good; and
what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly,
and to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.
Micah
6:8
|
