Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Aug. 16, 2007 Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director 800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org
TOOTHPASTE IS REMOVED FROM HYGIENE KITS AT BRETHREN SERVICE CENTER
(Aug. 16, 2007) Elgin, IL -- "We are in the process of removing toothpaste from hygiene kits (formerly named health kits) and checking the contents to be sure only the correct items are included in the kits," reports Loretta Wolf, director of the Material Resources program of the Church of the Brethren General Board.
The program packs, stores, and ships disaster relief materials worldwide from warehouses at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., on behalf of partner organizations such as Church World Service and Lutheran World Relief.
Those who donate hygiene kits are being alerted that toothpaste will no longer be included in the kits. "This goes for Church World Service and Lutheran World Relief kits," said Wolf. "It is also helpful to mark the donation carton 'hygiene kit w/o toothpaste,'" she said.
The decision to remove toothpaste from the contents of the kits was in response to an initial problem with expiration dates, Wolf said. Now with the potential for "poisoned" toothpaste from China, she reported that Church World Service is purchasing bulk toothpaste to send alongside the hygiene kits for onsite distribution.
No decision has been made as to the disposal of the toothpaste that is being removed from donated kits, Wolf said.
In related news, the program is issuing an urgent call for donations of school kits. Wolf said there is "desperate need for school kits for Church World Service. At this point we have about 30 cartons. Church World Service has requests for several containers they are currently unable to fill." For information about school kits, including a contents list and instructions for packing, go to www.churchworldservice.org/kits/school-kits.html.
Material Resources also issued a call for more volunteers to help staff work with the kits. Help is needed to check items in donated kits so that each recipient is assured a complete and appropriate kit. Volunteer opportunities are available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Lunch is provided for volunteers who work six hours or more. For more information or to schedule a date to volunteer, contact the New Windsor Conference Center at 410-635-8700.
More information about the toothpaste poisoning is available from the Food and Drug Administration at www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/toothpaste.html.
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts almost 130,000 members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.
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For more information contact:
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford Director of News Services Church of the Brethren General Board 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120 800-323-8039 ext. 260 cobnews@brethren.org
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