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Responding to the earthquake and tsunami in SE Asia so closely on the heels of the multiple hurricanes in Florida severly drained Church World Service's warehouses and funds for CWS Kits. When CWS put out an urgent plea for kits to help us meet current and future needs, Mendenhall Presbyterian Church in E. Grand Forks, Minnesota, took up the challenge and became a spark that lit up the whole twin city community of E. Grand Forks/Grand Forks. The following story is about this community's efforts to help us:
January 20, 2005
…“Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of You?”...”just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” Matthew 25: 44-45
In response to the natural disaster caused by the tsunami, the confirmation classes from Mendenhall Presbyterian Church in East Grand Forks, Minnesota wanted to do something. We wanted to help – really help. We talked to Stan at Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and he said that Church World Service was desperately needing Health Kits to send over to the tsunami victims. So we initiated an ecumenical drive to collect Health Kits.
Bethany Lutheran, Wesley United Methodist, Calvary Lutheran, Zion United Methodist, Family of God Lutheran, Holy Family Catholic, First Presbyterian, Grace Baptist Our Savior’s Lutheran, St. Mark’s Lutheran, St. Michael’s Catholic, St. Paul’s Episcopal, Sharon Lutheran, and United Lutheran churches willingly participated. But that was just the tip of the iceburg. Our ruling elders were excited about this and one of the elders has a brother in-law who works at Channel 11 so he told him about the effort. Later the same day we received a phone call from the TV station requesting an interview.
The morning of the interview we received a phone call from Cindy at Church World Service cheering us on and suggesting that we try to get shipping donated before the commercial so we can mention it on the interview. This was @ 8:15 and the interview was scheduled for 9:00. I called the UPS Store and after about 15 minutes of explaining and being on hold they generously donated $700.00 worth of shipping. Yippee!!! Channel 11 aired the interview four times. The Grand Forks Herald and East Grand Forks Exponent picked up the story. Let the fun begin.
I mentioned in the moment for mission what we were doing and briefly touched on the fact that we would need boxes. The next day an elder called and we had 250 boxes donated. We had people calling and dropping Kits by. Midway School was having a field trip in Grand Forks and wanted to bring about 100 Kits to a drop off point. The teachers at Valley Middle School had the kids bring things in and then made up Kits. Youth groups and Sunday school classes, women’s groups through out the twin cities of East Grand Forks and Grand Forks started putting Health Kits together. One church sent e-mails to their members, area dentists donated toothbrushes, Concordia College choir made a donation.
About four days before collecting the Kits from the different locations we collected about 200 Kits from one of the local churches and packed a box to figure how far the $700 free shipping would stretch. Each box was going to cost around $20 to ship to Maryland. GULP. Our organist suggested calling Home of Economy, a hometown department store and they graciously and generously donated up to $2000 worth of shipping. An Elder teaches at Manvel Public School and the Student Council donated $400.00 to help the kits be shipped overseas. We got a donation from the Disabled Veteran’s to help cover overseas shipping in addition to people adding $1 to their Kit (which we took out while we were doing quality control).
The morning of the Health Kit collection about 12 adults with 12 kids went up to the front of the sanctuary with Health Kits to put at the base of the communion table when the offering was being blessed. We then departed to make our pick ups. One person could hardly fit all the Kits in her SUV. Another person had to have assistance from a staff member of the donating church -- they needed 2 vehicles to transport the kits.
Upon returning to the church it was holy chaos -- what joy, what work and what fun!!!! We had to clear a path for people to get out of the elevator and get out the door. Three hours later we had packed 1,673 Health Kits into 111 boxes. The next day we loaded the boxes into the back of a pickup with a trailer, and 2 backseats. In addition, we sent a check of $2,700.00 to Church World Service. This was definitely a God thing!
Article contributed by JoAnn Cory
Photos contributed by Gayle Schrage
We are extremely grateful to JoAnn Cory and Mendenhall Presbyterian Church for their leadership, and to the wider E.Grand Forks/Grand Forks community for all of your efforts on behalf of the tsunami victims. You are truly a community with an enormous heart. Your contributions to Church World Service totalled 2,083 pounds of Kits and $3,075.40 Processing & Shipping Funds! Thanks, also, to all of those whose donations helped provide shipping to get your Kits from the E. Grand Forks/Grand Forks area to our warehouse in New Windsor, Maryland. You have modeled a tremendous community-wide outreach, and have helped so many of our brothers and sisters in SE Asia and around the world! Thank you.
January 20, 2005
…“Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of You?”...”just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” Matthew 25: 44-45
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Bethany Lutheran, Wesley United Methodist, Calvary Lutheran, Zion United Methodist, Family of God Lutheran, Holy Family Catholic, First Presbyterian, Grace Baptist Our Savior’s Lutheran, St. Mark’s Lutheran, St. Michael’s Catholic, St. Paul’s Episcopal, Sharon Lutheran, and United Lutheran churches willingly participated. But that was just the tip of the iceburg. Our ruling elders were excited about this and one of the elders has a brother in-law who works at Channel 11 so he told him about the effort. Later the same day we received a phone call from the TV station requesting an interview.
The morning of the interview we received a phone call from Cindy at Church World Service cheering us on and suggesting that we try to get shipping donated before the commercial so we can mention it on the interview. This was @ 8:15 and the interview was scheduled for 9:00. I called the UPS Store and after about 15 minutes of explaining and being on hold they generously donated $700.00 worth of shipping. Yippee!!! Channel 11 aired the interview four times. The Grand Forks Herald and East Grand Forks Exponent picked up the story. Let the fun begin.
I mentioned in the moment for mission what we were doing and briefly touched on the fact that we would need boxes. The next day an elder called and we had 250 boxes donated. We had people calling and dropping Kits by. Midway School was having a field trip in Grand Forks and wanted to bring about 100 Kits to a drop off point. The teachers at Valley Middle School had the kids bring things in and then made up Kits. Youth groups and Sunday school classes, women’s groups through out the twin cities of East Grand Forks and Grand Forks started putting Health Kits together. One church sent e-mails to their members, area dentists donated toothbrushes, Concordia College choir made a donation.
About four days before collecting the Kits from the different locations we collected about 200 Kits from one of the local churches and packed a box to figure how far the $700 free shipping would stretch. Each box was going to cost around $20 to ship to Maryland. GULP. Our organist suggested calling Home of Economy, a hometown department store and they graciously and generously donated up to $2000 worth of shipping. An Elder teaches at Manvel Public School and the Student Council donated $400.00 to help the kits be shipped overseas. We got a donation from the Disabled Veteran’s to help cover overseas shipping in addition to people adding $1 to their Kit (which we took out while we were doing quality control).
The morning of the Health Kit collection about 12 adults with 12 kids went up to the front of the sanctuary with Health Kits to put at the base of the communion table when the offering was being blessed. We then departed to make our pick ups. One person could hardly fit all the Kits in her SUV. Another person had to have assistance from a staff member of the donating church -- they needed 2 vehicles to transport the kits.
Upon returning to the church it was holy chaos -- what joy, what work and what fun!!!! We had to clear a path for people to get out of the elevator and get out the door. Three hours later we had packed 1,673 Health Kits into 111 boxes. The next day we loaded the boxes into the back of a pickup with a trailer, and 2 backseats. In addition, we sent a check of $2,700.00 to Church World Service. This was definitely a God thing!
Article contributed by JoAnn Cory
Photos contributed by Gayle Schrage
We are extremely grateful to JoAnn Cory and Mendenhall Presbyterian Church for their leadership, and to the wider E.Grand Forks/Grand Forks community for all of your efforts on behalf of the tsunami victims. You are truly a community with an enormous heart. Your contributions to Church World Service totalled 2,083 pounds of Kits and $3,075.40 Processing & Shipping Funds! Thanks, also, to all of those whose donations helped provide shipping to get your Kits from the E. Grand Forks/Grand Forks area to our warehouse in New Windsor, Maryland. You have modeled a tremendous community-wide outreach, and have helped so many of our brothers and sisters in SE Asia and around the world! Thank you.
Kits Resources
- 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