We have three responses to Haiti:
1. As part of First Serve on February 6, we will have a massive Meal Packing Project in which we’ll assemble hundreds of dehydrated, ready-to-eat meals that will then be shipped to Port-Au-Prince.
2. We have sent a check to UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief. UMCOR has an outstanding reputation among relief providers. We’ll announce the amount on Sunday.
3. Between now and next Tuesday, January 26, we are collecting Health Kits. Simple and easy-to-make, here are the instructions:
Health Kits for Haiti
Many of you are asking how we might walk together in helping earthquake victims in Haiti. A need exists for health/hygiene kits. UMCOR has 3,000 kits in the pipeline for the present time and is asking churches to make more. The contents and instuctions for the kits are below. To expedite shipping, it is important to donate complete kits and to follow all instructions.
Please drop off Health Kits at Good Shepherd’s Guest Services Desk or the Reception Office by Tuesday, January 26.
Place these items inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag:
1 hand towel (15″ x 25″ up to 17″ x 27″, no kitchen towels)
1 washcloth
1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, no child-size brushes)
6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
Please include $1 cash for each kit you send toward the purchase of toothpaste.
Important Kit Assembly Information:
All items included in kits must be NEW items.
All emergency kits are carefully planned to make them usable in the greatest number of situations. Since strict rules often govern product entry into international countries, it is important that kits contain only the requested items-nothing more.
Do NOT include any personal notes, money or additional materials in the kits. These things must be painstakingly removed and will delay the shipment.
So put together a kit — or ten — and bring it to church on Sunday or to the office through the week.
As we said on Sunday, we’re less interested in the “why?” and more focused on the “what now?”