…an active early winter (Southern tornadoes, Midwest floods)
      …record snowfalls across the upper Midwest and Northeast
            …preparing for March thawing and flooding

CWS’s supply of Emergency Clean-up Buckets is running dangerously low (48 buckets remaining in our warehouse as of mid-March). We urgently ask for your help in replenishing our supply.

Emergency Clean-up Buckets enable people to begin the overwhelming job of cleaning up after a flood, hurricane, tornado, or other disaster here in the United States.

To assemble an Emergency Clean-up Bucket you will need:

• One five-gallon bucket with resealable lid
• Five scouring pads
• Seven sponges, assorted sizes
• One scrub brush
• Eighteen cleaning towels (reusable, like Easy Wipes®)
• One 50-78 oz. box dry laundry detergent
• One 12 oz. bottle of liquid concentrated household cleaner (like Lysol®)
• One 25 oz. bottle liquid disinfectant dish soap (like Dawn®)
• Fifty clothespins
• Clothesline, two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.
• Five dust masks
• Two pairs latex gloves (like Playtex®)
• One pair work gloves
• 24-bag roll of heavy-duty trash bags (33-45 gallon)
• One 6-14 oz. bottle of insect repellent (drops or lotion, not aerosol)

Please purchase all liquids in plastic bottles. Be sure to send only new, unopened materials. Put all items in the plastic bucket, making sure they are packed securely to avoid damage during shipment, and seal lid with packing tape. Place each Bucket in a separate box.

Note: Because of the volatility of the contents, Emergency Clean-up Kits are not shipped internationally. Clean-up Bucket value: $50 Processing/Shipping Cost: $3 per Bucket

Funds for Processing/Shipping and Purchasing Kits
Funds are needed to cover sorting, packing, and insurance, as well as shipping Kits to their final destination. Please give at least $3 for each Clean-up Bucket. Cash donation in lieu of assembled Kits also help us to provide much-needed supplies.

Call the Tri-State Regional office toll-free at 888-297-2767 to find out how to save on shipping costs by taking advantage of the Spring Kit Depot Collection system.

Clean-Up Bucket appeal flyer (PDF File - 80 Kb)

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The Winter/Spring 2008 edition of the Tri-State Newsletter.

Tri-State Update (PDF file 253 Kb)

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Information about the May 2008 bus trip to New Windsor, Maryland.

Bus Trip flier

Story and photos of the 2006 bus trip to New Windsor

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Photo: Chronicle/Fran Funk

Jesse Glick, left, from the Middletown based Tri-State office of Church World Service, speaks with Priscilla Williamson, of Columbia, and DaLonne Brewer of Lebanon, volunteers with the Interfaith Sewing and Service Group, at the group’s educational and informational open house, luncheon, and mission fair at the First Congregational Church in Willimantic. The group’s special project in the morning was assembling health kits for Church World Service. The kits include basic personal items such as a hand towel, washcloth, comb, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and Band-aids. These, as well as baby kits, school kits and emergency clean-up buckets, are distributed to refugees, displaced people, and victims of natural disasters.
--The Chronicle 3/30/07

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The Conference Center Don and Mina Van Cleef and Gladys Reynard work on re-packing health kits -- boxed by weight. Jan Michael, Eleanor O'Connell and MaryAnne Wolling work at the school bag station. Eleanor Connely and New Windsor employee/tour guide stand in front of recently delivered CWS kits.

by Eileen Schwartz, Tri-State support staffer and first time bus tripper.

You may wonder what a bus load of people of varying ages and church affiliations can accomplish by visiting the New Windsor Maryland Conference Center and warehouse. Well I am happy to report on the most recent Tri-State expedition May 8-11. There were numerous returnees, as this was the 5th such trip, which left those of us first timers wondering - what was bringing them back?

I have a variety of theories

• The beauty of the rolling Maryland countryside
• The peacefulness of the setting - New Windsor Conference Center
• The atmosphere of service -- most of the staff are volunteers
• The opportunity to serve -- in the warehouse where CWS relief supplies are processed, re-packaged and stored awaiting their call to aid those in need. As well as in the SERRV A Greater Gift warehouse, pricing and packaging handcrafts from artisans around the world.
  

Over the course of several days we got to experience and touch with our hands, labor for those in need, and help replenish the massive shelves of a warehouse poised to respond to the next emergency call. There is something very solid there or perhaps it is the vastness of the space that speaks to those who toil there. This place is serious and the problems it services are great. Yet amidst the steel structure and mountains of cardboard boxes there is the promise of help and value of hope.

One evening guest speaker, Donna Derr, CWS Director of Emergency Response took us via her words and wonderful descriptions into the world of emergency response. She held the group spellbound as we journeyed into Pakistan, Indonesia and Mississippi and by doing so validated our efforts and made us long to do more to help.

One of my work mates commented that she understood why so many choose to re-visit the New Windsor center. She didn’t elaborate, but I think that her statement spoke of a contentment in doing, fulfillment in the work, and the comradeship of like minded companions who have been called to serve.

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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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