Virginia WIlliams

IRON MOUNTAIN — Volunteers are needed Saturday to help prepare containers filled with clothing and other essential items for needy children in Romania.

Richard and Virginia Williams of Breitung Township, who have pursued this mission for the past 20-plus years, will be packing up items from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at their shipping facility at Cobweb Antiques, N3956 U.S. 2 in Iron Mountain.

Due to health issues, this will be the couple’s last shipment, said their daughter, Barbara Vaughn.

Over the years, they have worked with several mission groups including Archway Romania to provide for homeless orphans and needy children in many different countries, as well as different parts of the U.S.

They have collected clean, gently used clothing for children of all ages, from birth to teens. “This includes socks, shoes, boots and jackets, which are extremely important for some children that have been put out in the streets with nothing,” Vaughn said.

Bedding and comforters were also something the couple collected over the years.

The Williamses also recently sent out 800 banana boxes full of fabrics, as well as sewing machines, to Honduras.

The couple started this mission to help needy children after being inspired by a devotional in Guideposts, a magazine that publishes stories of personal experiences and inspirational messages.

“This has been a labor of love for them,” Vaughn said.