Central Texans assemble health kits for Haiti

1/19/2010

While the devastation continues to unfold in Haiti, people around the world are responding with their financial gifts and prayers. “We want to thank everyone for the tremendous interest and response to this disaster,” states Rev. Laraine Waughtal, Central Texas Conference Disaster Response coordinator.

She suggests continued response through the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)’s Advance #418325, but UMCOR is also in tremendous need of health kits to provide for the basic needs of the people in the midst of the crisis. Officials estimate that 2 million to 3 million people in Haiti will need assistance.
Details on the health kit contents can be found at: http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.5721887/k.24FC/How_can_you_help_Provide_UMCOR_Health_Kits.htm

To assemble a health kit, place the following 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 study, 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-sized brushes)
            • 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
            • $1.00 for toothpaste
            (NOTE: UMCOR Sager Brown Depot is now purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be added to health kits before shipping to ensure that the product does not expire before they are sent.)
UMCOR  also needs an additional $1 to help with shipping costs.  We are asking that individuals/churches please provide $1 for shipping per kit that they bring to the drop off site.  Please make write a check made out to UMCOR for the number of kits you are shipping and give this check to the drop off site in your district. 
 
“We are asking churches to take their kits by Feb. 4 to a drop off site in their district so that we may transport them on Feb. 7 to the Sager Brown UMCOR Depot in Baldwin, La.,” she urges. The district drop off sites are:
            Brownwood District (2 sites):
First United Methodist Church, Stephenville
Early United Methodist Church
 
            Fort Worth District:
            Saginaw United Methodist Church
 
            Mid-Cities District
            First United Methodist Church, Arlington
 
            Temple District (2 sites)
            Wellspring United Methodist Church, Georgetown
Salado United Methodist Church
 
            Waco District
            Austin Avenue United Methodist Church, Waco
 
            Waxahachie District
            First United Methodist Church, Waxahachie
 
            Weatherford District
            First United Methodist Church, Weatherford
 
“We ask that churches please pack their health kits in boxes and mark each box with the number of kits in that box,” Waughtal instructs. The boxes of kits will then be brought to the central location at First United Methodist Church in Hillsboro by 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, from where it will be transported immediately to the UMCOR Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, La. First Hillsboro will have someone available to accept and help unload the boxes on Friday (Feb. 5) from 9 a.m. – noon and Saturday (Feb. 6) from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Some have asked about the possibility of serving on mission teams. Waughtal explains that while the rescue operations are in full swing, only rescue operations-trained teams are being allowed into Haiti.
“At this time,” she said, “future mission teams will limited to those that have previous experience on mission teams to Haiti. This requirement holds true for our Early Response teams and long-term volunteers.
“As the doors open for opportunities or the requirements change, we will pass this information along to churches and interested groups,” she said.