It was fitting that Bill used his 90th birthday party to organize for Worldwide Humanitarian Aid. Friends and family gathered on February 5 at the First Congregational Church to celebrate with Bill and give donations of sewing machines, medical equipment, school supplies and money for his organization. There were many cakes to choose from and a sundae bar to graze at, while singing and commemorating the many accomplishments of the man of the hour.

Bill led the group HADCCO-Hunger and Development Coalition of Central Ohio, was the local organizer for Pastors for Peace and a longtime member of the Columbus-Copapayo Sister City Project. Besides being a progressive United Church of Christ pastor, Bill also traveled all over the world to deliver humanitarian aid and good will. I have memories of him at 74 years old, bouncing around in the back of a very small jeep from San Salvador to the countryside in the middle of the night to avoid military checkpoints; trekking through untouched terrain near Copapayo, El Salvador; and leading all the children in our sister city in games and songs.

Bill carried out his mission of helping victims of poverty and injustice shortly after, by starting the group Worldwide Humanitarian Aid, “to collect, organize and deliver humanitarian aid to destitute persons throughout the world.”

Since November 1991, Worldwide Humanitarian Aid (WWHA) has participated in gathering, packing and shipping over $17 million worth of materials to needy people in Macedonia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Chiapas, Cuba, Yugoslavia, the Ukraine, northern Iraq, Jamaica, Romania, Congo, Kenya, Ecuador, Haiti, Armenia and Athens County, Ohio. The Free Press even received a used copy machine from him.

We are all awed and inspired by the work he continues to do at age 90. To help WWHA, write BIll at wbarndt1@ix.netcom.com.