A local non-profit organization in Pella works to support people across the United States battling multiple sclerosis.

Yoke Ministries, which was founded in 2020 by Pella residents Matt and Lauren Dowie, provides free care packages to individuals battling the chronic illness on the day of their treatment. The inspiration for the non-profit came after Matt was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis seven years ago, and his wife Lauren started collecting items for care packages to give him on treatment days. Since founding Yoke Ministries, the organization has grown significantly, currently mailing out over 70 packages to almost 30 states across the country. Matt says that with the financial strain that multiple sclerosis can put on individuals and their families, they made the intentional decision to make the care packages free for those that request them.

“MS is an incredibly expensive disease. It can cost people that have MS tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills. Obviously, insurance plays a part, but the things that they get billed for are expensive. You’ve got MRIs, treatments, regular doctor’s visits, and all that sort of stuff. So, we consciously made the decision as a nonprofit, we’re not going to put more financial burden on the people that we give care packages to. So, we made it very clear that these are going to be free for them. We’ll never expect them to donate to us or cover the cost of things or anything like that.”

Find more information about Yoke Ministries and how to donate here. Learn more about the organization from Matt Dowie on an upcoming Let’s Talk Pella.