Lima company donates clothing to Haiti

LIMA — Hundreds of thousands in Haiti were left without food, safe water or shelter following last month’s earthquake. Many were also lacking another basic essential — clean clothing.

Thanks to a Lima company’s donation, help is on the way.

AMS Uniforms, a company that sells medical garments across the United States and Canada, is giving more than 40 pallets, stacked eight feet high with cardboard boxes of clothing to the Haitian relief effort. There are scrubs, lab coats and shirts.

“It’s pretty much everything,” AMS owner and CEO Ted Ralston said.

ISOH/IMPACT, a Waterville-based nonprofit that works to help children in impoverished nations and provides disaster relief is administering the donation. Linda A. Green, president and CEO of ISOH/IMPACT, hopes to have the packages on their way to Haiti by the end of the week.

The scrubs were especially important for the few remaining hospitals that are struggling with swarms of parients.

“They’re easily washed and they help prevent the spreading of infection,” Greene said.

What doesn’t go to hospitals or other medical centers will be given out to the general population.

Wannemacher Trucking moved the two fully loaded semitrailers to the charity’s warehouse Monday afternoon.

“Each uniform would probably cost $5 or $6,” Greene said. “It’s a huge donation.”

Ralston said it amounts to about $350,000 worth of new garments that were left over from last year’s run.

“We had a good year last year,” he said. “We just felt it was better to give it away than blow it out.”