Julia Jones, Assistant Director of the CWS Great Rivers Region, shows off some of the CWS Kits brought to the November 2007 meeting of the Blackhawk Presbytery. Photo: Pat Wakeley.

This little one thinks the CWS School Kits are pretty! Photo: Pat Wakeley

The Blackhawk Presbytery’s Summer newsletter contained the following challenge:
“Dear Friends in Christ,

We at First Presbyterian Church of St. Anne were touched by the Church World Service presentation and plea at our July presbytery meeting. In response to this plea, we have made a commitment to create 30 school kits by the November presbytery meeting, approximately 1 kit per five parishioners.
But our passion doesn’t stop there….

We’d like to challenge each congregation of Blackhawk Presbytery to “meet or beat” our goal, to create a least 1 kit per 5 parishioners.

We’re making school kits because this is reflective of our commitment to children and youth in our community...but your church might decide that other kits better reflect your ministry. That is up to you. Whatever kits your create, let’s bring them to the November presbytery meeting at Stronghold and present them in support of the amazing work that Church World Service has done, literally for decades!”

And that challenge was taken seriously by congregations in Blackhawk Presbytery!

The Kits, to be distributed by Church World Service and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to people in need in the U.S. and around the world, are an important tool in serving people in times of crisis and transition. Here’s what arrived at the Presbytery meeting from St. Anne’s, First Presbyterian Elgin, Zion Presbyterian, PW of First Presbyterian Dixon, Westminster United Presbyterian Galena, Somonauk United Presbyterian, First Presbyterian Church, Rockford, Worth Presbyterian and the Stronghold Staff!

School Kits: 373 Hygiene Kits: 31 Baby Kits: 8
TOTAL KITS: 412!!
Donations for extra Kits and Processing/Shipping: $378.00

Blackhawk Presbytery has committed to another challenge in 2008. Congregations will be encouraged to take advantage of “back to school” sales in August and September, assemble the School Kits, and bring them to the November 2008 meeting.

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CWS volunteer David Jones receives a box of Baby Kits from Gavin Brandt, member of the Channahon United Methodist Church.

Oak Brook, IL/ June 22, 2007  -- The theme of the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church's Annual Conference, Sharing God’s Gifts Around the World, was taken seriously by the many congregations that brought Kits to the gathering.  The Kits, to be distributed by Church World Service to people in need in the U.S. and around the world, are an important tool in serving people in times of crisis and transition.  

Julia Jones, assistant director of the Great Rivers region of Church World Service, said, “I’m so grateful for the generosity of United Methodist congregations in the Northern Illinois conference.  They brought in just over 1000 Kits!  There were 551 Health Kits, 366 School Kits, 76 Baby Kits and 9 Kids Kits.  It was about 1800 pounds of Kits!  That represents a huge effort.  Soon the kits will be in the hands of a child or adult who’s in desperate need, and they’ll feel the touch of God’s love through the gift of a Kit.” Congregations and individuals were also generous with their donations towards processing/shipping and to purchase and provide additional kits. Over $4,500 was received.

United Methodist churches that brought Kits and/or donations:Antioch, Aurora Wesley, Bethany UMW, Brookfield, Centennial, Channahon, Cherry Valley, Cornerstone, Creston, Elston, Evangelical, Freeport Faith, First Lansing, First DeKalb, First Freeport, First Downers Grove UMW, First Evergreen Park, First Chicago (Chicago Temple), First Forreston, Friendship, Genoa, Good Samaritan, Grace Blue Island, Grace Joliet, Grace Naperville, Grace United Protestant, Hanover, Ingalls Park, Lake Villa, Lena UMW, Leon UMW, Libertyville, Lockport, Maple Park, Maple Park UMW, Milledgeville, Morgan Park, Morrison, Mt. Hope, North Northfield, Orland Park, Ottawa, Pathway, Riverside, Scales Mound, Southlawn, St. Andrew, St. Mark, Thornton, Trinity Joliet, Trinity Mt. Prospect, Trinity Carpentersville, Trinity/Yorkville and Trinity UMW, United Church of Hyde Park, Villa Park Calvary, Warren, West Chicago, West Chicago UMW.

To learn more about the CWS Kits program, visit www.churchworldservice.org/kits or regional office at 888 297-2767 or . CWS staff is available to share a program about the Kits or other projects of CWS. 

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• Visit the CWS Kits page for instructions on assembling and shipping your kits.
  
  
• Order materials online or phone our national service center, 1-800-297-1516

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