MAP International's humanitarian outreach rooted in Golden Isles
Dec. 10—It was not too long ago that the bigwigs at MAP International considered relocating its longtime headquarters and global medical and humanitarian outreach from Glynn County to a more metropolitan hub.
But the conversation about going to Savannah or Atlanta proved short-lived, said Susan Roeder, chairperson of MAP International's Board of Directors.
The large crowd that gathered Friday in a field behind MAP International's main headquarters served to emphasize the nonprofit organization's commitment to its roots in Brunswick, Glynn County and the Golden Isles. About a hundred folks gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony on a new 43,000-square-foot distribution center that will rise at the MAP International's headquarters at 4700 Glynco Parkway.
The group that has distributed $745 million in medicine and health supplies to people in need worldwide this year aims to double that commitment within the next five years, she said. The new building will be a vital cog in that objective, she said.
"I have to admit that our board was recently tasked with researching whether a move (to Savannah or Atlanta) might make sense for MAP's future years," Roeder said. "I will assure you that process took very little time because our dedicated staff and the far-reaching relationships we have here in Brunswick and Glynn County have resoundingly greater merit than any shaving of a few minutes off of our shipping logistics. So we are dedicated to this distribution center."
The new distribution center will double MAP International's storage capacity to more than 83,000-square-feet. Using medicines and supplies donated by pharmacy and medical supply companies, the Christian-based organization expedites emergency supplies to underserved locations around the world.
MAP International strives to provide medicine and medical supplies to places in moments of dire need, from natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes to those caught in human conflicts such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, Roeder said.
The foundation for that service has been in the Golden Isles since 1985, when the organization's headquarters moved to Glynn County from Illinois, Roeder said.
"Brunswick and Glynn County have been crucial components in MAP's success these past years," she said. "And we're grateful to contribute to the social and economic impact of our hometown just as you have contributed to our social and economic impact."
As a child, Cosby Johnson remembers scampering around the hallways of MAP International, where his father Larry worked. Opening the family's home to MAP International visitors from such far off lands as Kenya helped broaden the youngster's horizons.
Today as mayor of Brunswick, Johnson is proud to live in the community that fosters the good works of MAP International.
"It says in the Word, there are but three things: faith, hope and love," Johnson said. "MAP International has been a leader in love for a long time in this community. What that imparted in me and what that imparted in the community is that leading in love does not just stop in the 17 square miles of Brunswick, Georgia, and it doesn't stop in Glynn County. We have a call to lead in love around the world."
MAP International CEO Steve Stirling paraphrased a Bible verse from Matthew 25:36 to accentuate the importance of MAP International's simple but crucial mission. In addition to its international outreach, MAP International supplies 59 health clinics serving the needy in America, including 19 clincics in Georgia, he said.
"It said, 'when I was sick you looked after me,'" Stirling said. "That is the only thing we do. We are focused and we do that really well."
The building that took root Friday will ensure that MAP International's compassionate worldwide care will continue to sprout from the Golden Isles for many years to come, Roeder said.
"We don't take for granted where we are today, where MAP's distribution operations are located, where MAP's headquarters are located and where the majority of our amazing employees are located," she said.
