wfn.org | Newsline: New Family Household Kit collection announced for Haiti

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl

Brumbaugh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

NEW FAMILY HOUSEHOLD KIT COLLECTION IS ANNOUNCED

>FOR HAITI

(Feb. 8, 2010) Elgin, IL -- A new type of kit collection for families affec ted

by the earthquake in Haiti has been announced by Brethren Disaster

Ministries and the Church of the Brethren's Material Resources program

at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The Family Household

Kit contains critical supplies that enable Haitian families to prepare thei r

own food and take care of family needs with dignity.

The Church of the Brethren also continues the appeal for donations of other

relief supplies for Haiti earthquake survivors, including hygiene kits, bab y

>care kits, and tarpaulins.

The new Family Household Kit is specially designed for the needs of Haitian

Brethren families in Port-au-Prince area who have lost their homes in the

earthquake. Because the kits are particularly heavy, and thus expensive to

send to the Brethren Service Center, staff are working to set up collection

points in each Church of the Brethren district across the United States.

Pick-ups will be the first of March and again the first of April. Otherwise ,

kits may be sent to the Brethren Service Center, 601 Main St., New Windsor,

>MD 21776.

>Family Household Kit contents are as follows:

-- 1 heavy 8-10 quart cast aluminum cooking pot, all-metal without plastic

handles (like a dutch oven or brazier pan) and thus safe for cooking over

charcoal. Best options come from commercial kitchen suppliers. Accompanied

>by a lid to fit the cooking pot.

>-- 1 heavy duty butcher knife.

>-- 1 small kitchen knife or paring knife.

>-- 1 manual can opener.

-- 2 large metal spoons for cooking and serving.

-- Table service for 6 to 8 people including metal flatware, durable and

unbreakable plates and bowls, heavy plastic cups.

>-- 4 coffee mugs, unbreakable.

>-- 1 plastic water pitcher with lid.

-- 1 heavy plastic dish tub, for washing dishes.

>-- 2 hot pads.

>-- 2 dishcloths.

>-- 2 bath towels.

-- 2 flat sheets (full size bed), 100 percent cotton.

-- 100 feet of 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch braided nylon cord (two 50-foot section s

>are fine).

-- 1 small personal item for the family such as a Creole songbook or Bible,

a windup flashlight, a decorative item for the home, work gloves, a stuffed

animal toy, etc. Most of the recipients of these kits will be Church of the

Brethren members, so personal items can be religious.

The kit should be packed in the dish tub and place in a sturdy cardboard bo x

>for shipping.

On arrival in Haiti, the Family Household Kits will be combined with Water

Filtration Buckets, a water purification system using five-gallon buckets f itted

with a water filter to provide a lifetime of safe drinking water.  Brethren  Disaster

Ministries is purchasing the water filters and buckets in bulk for assembly  at the

>New Windsor, Md., facility.

For instructions to donate hygiene kits and baby care kits, go to

www.churchworldservice.org/kits<http://www.churchworldservice.org/kits> , o r download a CWS Kit Guide at www.churchworldservice.org/site/DocServer/Kit Guide.pdf?docID=361<http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/DocServer/KitG uide.pdf?docID=361> .

Tarpaulins should be heavy duty of the size 8 by 10 feet, or 10 by 10 feet,  intended

>for long-term use.

Hygiene and baby care kits and tarpaulins also should be sent to the Brethr en

>Service Center at the above address.

Gifts to the Emergency Disaster Fund continue to be "the most important way  to

support lifesaving emergency relief efforts in Haiti," the Brethren Disaste r

Ministries announcement said. Donate online at www.brethren.org/HaitiDonati ons<http://www.brethren.org/HaitiDonations

or mail checks to the Emergency Disaster Fund, Church of the Brethren, 1451

>Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

For more information about this kit collection contact bdm@brethren.org<mai lto:bdm@brethren.org>  or

>800-451-4407 ext. 3.

To view a short video of Brethren Disaster Ministries executive Roy Winter

illustrating how to put together a Family Household Kit, go to

www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=serve_brethren_disaster_ministr ies_HaitiEarthquakeVideo#2<http://www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename =serve_brethren_disaster_ministries_HaitiEarthquakeVideo#2> .

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continu ing

the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in com munity.

The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions an d is one

of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated its 300th anniversary i n 2008.

It counts some 125,000 members across the United States and Puerto Rico, an d has

missions and sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Ha iti,

>and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

>Director of News Services

>Church of the Brethren

>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120

>800-323-8039 ext. 260

>cobnews@brethren.org