T-shirts sought for use as diapers

EDMOND — A local man has embarked on a faith-inspired mission to help struggling moms in Central America.

Steve Lucas, a member of Edmond Church of Christ, is collecting T-shirts that may be converted to diapers for expectant mothers in Nicaragua and Honduras.

Lucas said he's an ambassador for Mision Para Cristo ( Mission for Christ), an international nonprofit focused on meeting the spiritual needs of people in Nicaragua and other locations in Central America.

He said he's been grateful for the T-shirt donations that he has received thus far and hopes that other generous people will decide to give by his shirt drive's deadline on Friday.

He became interested in Mision Para Cristo after learning that one of his college classmates was involved with the nonprofit and had been having problems collecting T-shirts for mothers in Nicaragua. The diaper program has been going on for decades but recently began seeing a dip in donations of shirts.

Lucas said members of his Sunday school class, the Sowers Bible Class, were the first to get behind his effort once he told them about it. Their enthusiasm spurred him to post information on social media.

The collection campaign went into overdrive.

"What really kickstarted this was me putting it on Facebook to expand the reach," Lucas said.

More than 100 people have mailed T-shirts to Lucas and he s ai d one man in Golden, Colorado, somehow found out about the Oklahoma donation drive and sent 1,600 shirts. Lucas said a total of 2,300 shirts have been donated from Colorado through the efforts of that one donor and his friends. Lucas said he has amassed about 6,700 shirts, but he would like to send more if he can. He continues to accept T-shirts in sizes adult medium to adult 2X. They must be at least 50 percent cotton and they can't have side seams.

He said Oklahomans have proven generous when it comes to the T-shirt drive and he hopes to see more donations come in through Friday. The Chandler resident said the mothers and children who will benefit from the diapers made from shirts struggle with a level of poverty that many people cannot comprehend.

"I think we hit a nerve. It begins with good people looking to do good," Lucas said.