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My Romance with Church World Service
 Elizabeth Johnson
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On a wintry night in the early 1960’s, Mother and I heard a stirring talk by Reverend Reginald Helfferich on the reconstruction work in Europe following World War II. He told of large potato boxes, contributed by Church World Service, used as beds for the children roaming across the cities in Europe. His emphasis on the call to service had a great impression upon Mother and me. Thus, the beginning of my romance with Church World Service!
Church World Service used-clothing drives for men, women and children living in warm and cool climates was the big thrust during the 50’s and 60’s. Our garage in Dalton, Massachusetts became the depot where some 20 to 30 churches brought their donations. One year the collection was three tons. Our family anticipated the spring visit of the huge 18-wheeler CWS truck from the center in New Windsor, Maryland. We always treated the driver to a meal, usually breakfast. Our children helped carry boxes to the truck and were disappointed if it came when they were in school.
Our family has a long-standing CWS joke! One year while checking closets in my brother’s family home, Mother donated a somewhat worn 3-piece wool suit to CWS. When the next funeral came, the minister (my brother) was desperate! His funeral suit had disappeared!
During these years as Church World Service state chair for Church Women United, fliers with directions and current needs were mailed to county churches. In addition, I coordinated the truck route of spring clothing collection with the New Windsor Center, as well as organizing and accompanying three bus trips to New Windsor. Our groups packed clothing for a day with other volunteers. I can testify this was hard work!
Between 1970—1978, on three trips to pick up our daughters from their Pennsylvania colleges, I went by way of New Windsor to work at the center to pack clothing and do work in the SERRV warehouse. I urge folks to visit the CWS Center. They will never forget God’s work of love and service and be eternally thankful to know the needs of suffering people are met in times of disaster and homelessness.
In the meantime, Mother was busy making warm coverlets and dozens of children’s garments from donated materials. Our local Women’s Fellowship presented Mother with a silver thimble as a “thank you” for her contributions to CWS. How proud and pleased she was when Ralph Taylor, the regional director from CWS visited our home. When Mother died in 1978 at the age of 90, her grandchildren chose CWS as the recipient of memorial monies. The regional office suggested three projects. New treadle sewing machines were needed in Haiti. In keeping with Mother’s interest, and because women could sew to earn money and stay at home watching their children, the Haitian project was chosen.
From 1972—1978, I was a corporate member of the United Church Board of World Ministries of the United Church of Christ. In Mother’s memory I applied to volunteer as a sewing teacher to Haiti. My request went through the World Board but I would go under the umbrella of CWS. After much correspondence, Servicio Social De Iglesias Dominicanas, the co-partner with CWS, invited me to come to the Dominican Republic to work with Zunilda Lorenza, the handcraft director. A crash course in Spanish and the study of crafts made from natural fiber was the next order.
On May 1, 1979, I flew to Santo Domingo to spend four weeks visiting handcraft centers. Zunilda and I traveled and consulted together. Because of political and economic situations in Haiti, a volunteer tour was not advisable. However, we did fly to Port a Prince, Haiti, and traveled for a week as guests of CWS workers. Thus the beginning of an illuminating and exciting adventure!
To become acquainted with a new environment was my first responsibility. This included settling in at a pencion where Peace Corps workers lived, learning “to catch” a taxi in the city, where to eat, the location of the U.S. embassy, and becoming acquainted with SSID staff. At the pencion there was only 20 hours of running water; the times determined by the mood of the director.
For the first week, Elizabeth Enloe, CWS director, or Robin Waite, her assistant, drove me to visit handcraft centers where we found 20-25 girls with a teacher(s). These were located in rustic surroundings such as schools, open pavilions in parks, under a shade tree, in a church, in storefronts, or in a coconut grove. The girls were pleased to meet their American guest, and showed me their handiwork with pride. It might be a doily, a napkin, a tablecloth, a blouse, or a simple dress. I visited with each girl and took notes of the teacher’s requests. Also Viaga (SSID driver), transported Zunilda and I or we took public transportation. Each center had a personality of its own and we were treated to refreshments of lemonade, cookies, a cake or a glass of water. On one occasion a luncheon, prepared in an open-air kitchen by women of the village, was served on a crocheted tablecloth. The joy, excitement and appreciation of Dominican girls and women, especially those in a frontier area, will always live with me.
There were two outstanding centers, one in city slums, and the other on the frontier up in the northwest border with Haiti. Casa de Amistad, the House of Friendship in Santo Domingo, the capital city, is a Rotary project. Mothers and children come for meals and many activities. Upon first inspection of the building, I noted a dozen sewing machines not in use since their arrival. During WWII I learned as a Home Economics teacher to service machines because no repairman was available. These machines just needed initial adjustment. I was recognized as a skilled American technician! A new class was immediately organized. Just before my term was over, I visited that sewing class. I can’t express with what satisfaction and joy these Dominican women showed me their accomplishments.
For a week, three staff of SSID, Viaga, the Agricultural director, Lybia (one of the few RN’s in the country), Zunilda and myself traveled up to the frontier to visit the organized SSID village of Carbonera. Our route took us through dry riverbeds around cows, mules and many walkers carrying water. The villagers were so happy to greet us, they cheered! Our accommodations were in a rustic hostel with mosquito netting over the beds and one #10 can of cold water for a shower.
My days were spent in sewing class at a local school with 300 students and only 5 teachers. Half of the village children did not attend school. The social service worker told me he spent half of his time explaining to mothers the need to boil water. Many projects with CWS/SSID supervision were part of village life. Gardens and farmers’ cooperatives, a water canal for irrigation, a health and nutrition clinic, a warehouse with tools and medical supplies, and a fishpond were shown with pride as leaders escorted me around. A group of teenagers followed me everywhere and were fascinated by the first American they had seen. With my limited language skills and Spanish dictionary, I tried to answer their probing questions. On the morning of my departure, I was presented with a bouquet of wild flowers. Many years later I was thrilled when Carbonera was featured in promotional material used by United Church of Christ for our One Great Hour of Sharing.
Many presentations were made around Massachusetts telling of my experience and promoting the work of CWS. The gratuities were sent back to SSID to provide scholarships for rural teachers. I designed a flier in order to collect sewing kits. Three hundred kits, made up of two yards of materials, matching thread, buttons and needles, were assembled for women in the Dominican Republic.
Clothing is no longer collected, but I am still sending health, school, and clean-up kits, layettes and information to churches. Our garage is a gathering location for kits which we dedicate at May Friendship Day and my husband and I deliver them to the depot in Bennington, VT. At the 50th CWS anniversary celebration we honored those whose work for CWS was outstanding over the years. Bill Wildey was our inspiring speaker. As Christian Education Director for 12 years in two churches, the work and promotion of Church World Service was always on my agenda. And for the past sixteen years, the annual CROP Hunger Walks have been a “highlight” of fall, as a walker, treasurer, sponsor, recruiter, and chair of the first walk some 16 years ago. I helped register 120 walkers this past October.
My hobby is basket weaving. Since 1995, I have made 65—70 baskets, a variety of sizes and shapes, for our annual church bazaar, “Haystacks and Snow Flakes.” The sales I have divided in half between our local church and CWS. As I have grown older, this project is a real joy and pleasure. All of our lives are woven together. It is a blessing and gives us peace of mind that we can love and support the work and witness of Church World Service. “Thank you” for asking me to tell the story of “My Romance with Church World Service!”