One Heart – Many Hands announced this week that all necessary building materials for this summer's volunteer projects in Havana, Cuba, have been assembled and are ready to be loaded onto a 40-foot sea container. A ship will then depart from Port Everglades, Florida, docking in Cuba 12 hours later. 

The shipment is the first container sent to Church of the Nazarene congregations in Cuba from the U.S. in more than 50 years due to trade and travel restrictions that were recently lifted for humanitarian missions.

"This progress represents the completion of Phase One of our Hearts for Cuba plan," said OHMH President George Sisler. "It also a serves as a major milestone toward bridging renewed friendship with our neighbors to the south."

Phase Two of the Hearts for Cuba plan is also already underway as OHMH continues assembling medical supplies for a second shipment.

"We look forward to the spring when we'll join the Cuban Ministry of Health in welcoming these gifts that will be used to help the sick and injured throughout that nation," Sisler said.

Phase Three's summer volunteer projects are also developing according to schedule. Sisler says that while all seats are taken for OHMH's first week in country, "if you are interested in volunteering with a team for any of three remaining weeks, please contact our office immediately by phone or email so we can reserve your seat."

• Week One:    June 28 - July 05, 2014 (Full)  
• Week Two:    July 5 - July 12, 2014   (Nearly full; March 26 registration deadline) 
• Week Three:  July 12 - July 19, 2014 (April 2 registration deadline)
• Week Four:    July 19 - July 26, 2014 (April 9 registration deadline)

Projects planned include painting the exterior of local handicapped and elderly families' homes. Other basic home repairs, including installing handicapped accessible modifications, along with other community-based projects are planned. 

One Heart – Many Hands was founded by Church of the Nazarene member Dr. Gary Morsch in 1993. Every four years, the organization coordinates a week-long service project that precedes the denomination's General Assembly. During the 2013 20th anniversary project in Indianapolis, Indiana, more than 1,800 volunteers completed 120 projects throughout the city.
--One Heart – Many Hands