Marion resident Jan Aarsheim’s “mission” to aid the tornado victims in Indiana began with a news broadcast detailing the wreckage left in the storm’s wake.

“I thought, 'Here I am in my cozy little living room thinking about those poor people in the Midwest,'” Aarsheim said. “I heard a newscaster say how thankful they are to have rubble to go through because some people don’t even have that. You can write a check but I was thinking of what else I could do.”

What else she could do, she decided, would be to gather local donations, load up her Bonanza A36 airplane and fly the gifts to Indiana herself.

On March 30, Aarsheim will take off from New Bedford for the five-and-a-half hour flight to Jeffersonville, Indiana.

“They lost everything,” she said. “I can’t imagine that. Where do you start?”

Her plane can carry up to 970 pounds of supplies and Aarsheim said she plans to fill it to maximum capacity.

To start, Aarsheim posted a message on her Facebook page on March 4. Within a few hours she began collecting donations.

Aarsheim will be flying to Indiana with Dartmouth resident Bill Fryer acting as her co-pilot.

Aarscheim has received help from Mattapoisett resident Beth Oleson and Marti Mendard, an employee of JCPenney in Wareham Crossing.

Menard has been gathering support from retailers located in Wareham Crossing, including private donations from her fellow employees at JCPenney.

“They’ve been the wind beneath my wings,” Aarscheim said. “I could not have done this alone. They’ve been a tremendous help.”

Aarsheim also received help from Wareham Crossing owner WS Development. Regional Director of Marketing and Social Media, Allison Yee, has been gathering gift certificates from retailers.

Yee said she was more than happy to rally the Wareham Crossing stores after Aarsheim reached out to her.

“The thought is absolutely fascinating and a great initiative for all of us to help in any way we could,” Yee said. “I think it takes a lot of courage. It’s great that something that starts with one person and has a tremendous impact.”

To find out what was needed, Aarsheim contacted the vice president of development and marketing for the Goodwill of Southern Indiana, Michelle Dayvault.

Dayvault provided Aarsheim with a list of items for the Red Cross and Salvation Army. What they need most, she said, are towels, blankets, linens and school supplies.

“They’re asking for 'gently used' but I’m hoping that everything is brand new,” she said. “I don’t want to give them rubble.”

Roger Williamson, Regional Manager for Crocs, Inc., has donated a case of new crocs.

Aarsheim said she has been busy buying clothing, school supplies and hygiene products. So far, she has gathered nearly $30,000 worth of new clothing.

She will also be carrying "Buckets of hope" -- sand pails filled with children’s hygiene products and Easter candy. That idea came from Oleson, she said.

Courtney Oleson, who is Oleson’s daughter and a first grade teacher at Center School, has been collecting donations at the elementary school.

The buckets are complete with a shovel so that the Center School children can “scoop up” the donations, she said.

“The small stuff, the big stuff...you can’t help seeing the good in people,” said Beth Oleson. “Think of how quickly life can change. It’s amazing what this one small idea has led to.”

Aarsheim said it's nice to do something for "our neighbors to the west."

“I’m sure they’d do the same. It’s joyous to do something for someone else," she said.
"The response here has been fantastic. People are donating everything from gift certificates to toothbrushes. Nothing is too small.”

Aarsheim says she will ship to Indiana anything she cannot fit in her plane.

Owners of the South Coast Local diner, Sherry and Wayne Gibson, are also taking part in Aarsheim’s “mission.”

On Saturday, March 24, the Gibsons will host an all-day, pajama-breakfast party at the diner from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m.

There, they will collect school supplies for the children in Indiana for Aarsheim to take with her on her trip. The fundraiser will continue on Sunday, March 25.

Sherry Gibson said she hopes to see a lot of student involvement in the fundraiser.

“It would be nice to see kids involved so that the kids in Indiana can see that other kids care,” Sherry said.

Aarsheim, a pilot for 22 years, said she is thrilled to be able to use her passion for flying for a good cause.

“Flying is one of the greatest things I can do for myself,” she said. “I always said that when I got my license, that it just makes my backyard a whole lot bigger and I can share it. This just brings what I love to do and make it better.”

Aarsheim, Oleson and Menard are collecting donations for this trip until Aarsheim’s plane takes off on March 30.

Aarsheim said she plans on being back home before April 8, for Easter, she hopes her time in Indiana will not be a one-time trip.

She said she will continue to gather donations and make additional trips to Indiana as she fills up her plane with gifts.

“It’s a lot of pleasure,” she said. “One of these days when I’m sitting in my rocking chair, I want to think of all the things I did and not the things I wish I did. There are moments in life that take your breath away and that’s what you remember. It’s pretty nice to think that maybe you made a difference in someone’s life. People have certainly made a difference in mine.”