Matthew 25 starts another expansion

Matthew 25: Ministries, the giant international disaster-relief organization, has broken ground on the latest expansion of its massive campus in Blue Ash.

A new chapel and multi-purpose building are being added to the current 300,000-square-foot complex as the second phase of a building campaign launched in 2018.

The second phase will see the construction of founder Rev. Wendell and Michelle Mettey Chapel, nestled in the wooded area behind the main building and dedicated to honoring their founder’s vision.

Matthew 25: Ministries began as the result of a mission trip Mettey made with a group of doctors and nurses to Nicaragua. Since 1991, Matthew 25’s distribution activities have expanded to include partners in Greater Cincinnati, as well as partners throughout the United States and around the world. More than 275 million pounds of clothing, medical supplies, personal care items, school supplies, food and beverages, household supplies, cleaning products, reblended paint and micro-enterprise supplies have been distributed to over 70 countries worldwide.

Matthew 25 is ranked by Forbes magazine as the nation’s 59th largest charity with $307 million in annual revenue.

The second phase will also include a multi-purpose facility that expands on the potential of the chapel and enhances Matthew 25’s capabilities to serve its donors and the community in new ways.

“We are so excited to begin this next phase of our growth campaign,” said Tim Mettey, CEO of Matthew 25: Ministries. “The Rev. Wendell and Michelle Mettey chapel honors our founder, Rev. Wendell Mettey, the inspiration, guide and driving force behind Matthew 25: Ministries and his wife, Mickey, the inspiration and unfailing support behind him. It will be a truly remarkable and unique design that will cultivate a space for reflection, worship and honoring God together.”

The first phase of the campaign saw the construction of a new warehouse annex, the installation of a storage and efficiency-enhancing racking system, the expansion of Matthew 25’s parking lot, an extensive office expansion and relocation and many more cost-saving and efficiency-enhancing improvements.

The first phase of improvements and enhancements were completed in 2019 and had a positive impact on Matthew 25’s response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. By the end of 2021, Matthew 25 had distributed almost 9 million pounds of COVID aid to approximately 1,400 unique organizations nationwide, including more than 400 local organizations.