Nov. 17 Ingathering to help meet needs worldwide
10/05/12Nov. 17 Ingathering to help meet needs worldwide
By Amy ForbusEditor
If your world fell apart, what would you need so you could begin putting it back together?
Sometimes the answer is a bucket filled with cleaning supplies. Other times the answer is as basic as a hand towel and a bar of soap. Many of us take such items for granted until disaster strikes.
For 35 years now, United Methodists in Arkansas have answered these types of needs through Ingathering, an event that does exactly what the name implies: gathering in supplies for distribution by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Ingathering 2012 is set for Saturday, Nov. 17.Cars and trucks loaded with health kits, cleaning buckets, bulk items and more will arrive from across the state at the Arkansas Rice Depot, 3801 W. 65th Street in Little Rock, for sorting and distribution to anyone in need. Some items will remain at the Rice Depot to help Arkansas families; others will go to UMCOR’s Sager Brown Depot distribution center in Baldwin, La. From there, they make their way to people around the world affected by disaster or need.
This year’s event, will include worship, music, refreshments and work organizing the donations for storage and transport.
Statewide drop-offs
For those who cannot drive to Little Rock on Nov. 17, several churches in each of the state’s five districts will serve as advance collection locations. Drop-off dates, locations and times will be shared by each district and in the Nov. 2 issue of the Arkansas United Methodist.
Ingathering relies upon volunteers to unload vehicles and sort items into their proper locations for packing and storage. To add yourself or your group to the list of helpers, visit arumc.org/register.
Preparation begins now. Read on for lists of supplies to include in the various kits.
Important information for preparing kits• 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 other 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.
Packing the kits
• Keep the weight of the box in mind. Each packed box cannot exceed 66 pounds.
Shipping the kits
• Complete 2 packing lists—one for your records and one to put on the shipping box.
• Paste the shipping label/packing list on the outside of each box you send. The shipping list helps the depot to quickly process kits.
• Processing & Shipping Costs: Please enclose an envelope containing at least $1 for each kit you send. This donation enables kits to be sent without delay to areas in need. For Cleaning Buckets, please send at least $1.50 each.
Health Kit items
Value: $12 per kit• 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
• $1.00 to purchase toothpaste
Place these items inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag.
NOTE: UMCOR Sager Brown 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.
Cleaning Bucket Kit items
Value: $55 per bucket• 5-gallon bucket with resealable lid
• Bleach (two 1-quart bottles or one 82-oz. bottle. Do not include bleach if you are shipping the bucket through the U.S. Postal Service, UPS or FedEx.)
• 5 scouring pads
• 7 sponges
• 1 scrub brush
• 18 cleaning towels (reusable wipes)
• Liquid laundry detergent (two 25-oz. or one 50-oz. bottle)
• 1 household cleaner, 12-16 oz. bottle
• Disinfectant dish soap, 16-28 oz. bottle
• 50 clothes pins
• Clothes line (two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.)
• 5 dust masks
• 2 pair latex gloves
• 1 pair work gloves
• 24-bag roll of heavy-duty trash bags, 33-45 gallon (remove roll from box before placing in bucket)
• 1 Insect repellant spray, 6-14 oz. can (If aerosol, cans must have protective caps. See Special Requirements.)
• 1 air freshener, 8 or 9 oz. can (If aerosol, cans must have protective caps. See Special Requirements.)
Special Shipping Requirements: All cleaning agents must be liquid and in plastic bottles. No powders. Pack them inside a bucket or strong outer box. If including aerosols or flammables, ship kits by UPS Ground, Fed Ex Ground, or by truck. Do NOT ship by U.S. Mail or DHL/Airborne freight.
NOTE: if the requested item size is not available, go down to the next available size. If nothing is available in the requested or smaller size, put masking tape on the outside of the bucket saying, “This bucket contains no _________”
Birthing Kit items
Value: $8 per kit• 1 hotel-size bar of soap (1 oz. and up)
• 1 pair of clean latex gloves
• 1 square yard of clear 4 mil plastic sheeting
• 3 pieces of clean string each 12” long
• 1 clean single use razor blade (carefully wrap the blade in paper or plastic to protect it and keep it from causing injury)
• 2 flannelette receiving blankets, each 1 square yard
Place these items inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag.
Sewing Kit items
Value: $18 per kit• 3 yards of cotton or cotton-blend, solid color or print fabric (must be 3 yards of uncut fabric)
• 1 pair sewing scissors
• 1 package of needles
• 1 spool of thread
• 5-8 matching buttons
Wrap sewing notions in the fabric and place in a sealed one-gallon plastic bag.
Layette Kit items
Value: $35 per kit• 6 cloth diapers
• 2 shirts or 2 one-piece body suits
• 2 baby washcloths
• 2 gowns or sleepers
• 2 diaper pins
• 1 sweater open in the front
• 2 receiving blankets
Bundle the items inside one of the receiving blankets and secure with the diaper pins.
School Kit items
Value: $11 per kit• 1 pair blunt scissors (rounded tip)
• 3 pads (or loose leaf) of 8 1/2” x 11” ruled paper
• 1 30-centimeter ruler
• 1 hand held pencil sharpener
• 6 unsharpened pencils with erasers
• 1 eraser, 2 1/2”
• 1 box of 24 crayons (only 24)
Prepare a 14” x 16” (finished size) cloth bag with handles and an optional closure (Velcro®, snap or button) and place items in the bag. Patterns are available from UMCOR Sager Brown or umcor.org.
Bedding Kit items
Value: $50 per kit• 2 flat double-bed sheets
• 2 pillowcases
• 2 pillows
Bulk material needs
1. Terry cloth hand towels (15” x 25” or 16” x 27”—no kitchen towels)2. Metal nail files or fingernail clippers (no emery boards, no toenail clippers)
3. Children’s blunt scissors
4. Pencil sharpeners (plain, small, individual sharpeners with no emblems)
5. Baby sweaters (open in the front)
6. Cloth baby diapers (cloth only—no disposable diapers)
7. Ruled paper (pad, spiral, or loose leaf)
8. Baby gowns or sleepers
9. School Bags (finished size 14” x 16”)
Items specific to Arkansas
In addition to the kits we will send to the UMCOR Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, La., we also will receive the following items for use by Arkansas Rice Depot:Children’s Disaster Kits
• 1 coloring book• 1 box of colored pencils
• 1 storybook (preferably about feelings)
• 2 small toy vehicles (these should be emergency vehicles such as police cars, fire trucks, ambulances)
• 1 soft, cuddly stuffed toy
Place all items in a large zip-lock bag or box.
Disposable diapers (all sizes)
Donations of diapers will be distributed through the Rice Depot’s Arkansas Diaper Depot initiative, aimed at providing struggling mothers, families and their infants with much-needed diapers.
