Haiti relief group grows

By DAN KEGLEY/Staff

Between its first meeting Jan. 19 and its second six days later on Monday, the group organizing the Mountain Empire Haiti Relief Challenge more than doubled in size as volunteers from across the region joined the effort.
Jumping from a dozen volunteers to 28, the group is one of many across the United States orchestrating the assembly of personal hygiene kits for shipment into Haiti that continues to reel under the devastating effects of a massive earthquake two weeks ago, according to the group’s leader, the Rev. Harry Howe.
Howe said as far as he can determine, the Mountain Empire Haiti Challenge is distinguished as possibly the only community-wide relief effort among those across the country coordinated by the United Methodist Committee on Relief, or UMCOR. The other groups putting hygiene kits together are apparently based around individual churches.
In the aggregate, the groups nationwide are expected to send a total of 2 million hygiene kits to Haiti, Howe said.
Shipment organizers at UMCOR Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, La., headquarters for UMCOR’s relief supply operations, are focusing now on two factors affecting the relief shipments. Howe said they are “learning where people are displaced to, then arranging to ship aid to those locations” to ensure those most in need of relief receive it.
UMCOR developed a list of needed personal care items that pack easily into gallon-size reclosable plastic bags, allowing for uniformity of the kits that in turn allows boxes to be packed with a uniform number of kits, all of which simplifies accounting for and handling of large volumes of the kits.
The list of items is approved for international shipment and must be strictly observed by donors of the items:
• 1 hand towel (15” x 25” up to 17” x 27”, but no kitchen towels)
• 1 washcloth
• 1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
• 1 nail file OR fingernail clipper (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)
• 1 small or medium tube of toothpaste (expiration date must be Jan. 2011 or later)
• 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
Inclusion of items not on the list in even one kit that happens to be pulled at random by shipping inspectors will result in the whole lot’s being turned back, Howe said.
Personal notes likewise are not permitted in kits. “I reiterate,” Howe said, “no notes, no ‘From whomever,’ no ‘Wishing you the best of luck.’”
The value of each kit is roughly $12, UMCOR said.
$1 should be sent with each kit to defray freight charges. Groups collecting items are asked to gather each kit’s dollar into an envelope accompanying the kits, Howe said.
More than $500 has been contributed to the challenge for purchase of items needed to complete kits, Howe said. He asked that checks be made payable to VFW Post 4667 or Project Crossroads.
Howe said at a recent dental appointment, one community member mentioned the Haiti Relief Challenge to her dentist, who donated 75 toothbrushes. The group welcomes and appreciates any such donations of items on the approved list from professionals who would like to support the aid project.
Blake Frazier of radio stations WOLD and WZVA and Henry Thomas of station WMEV have coordinated development of pickup sites at the Marion Food City Friday, Feb. 5, and Walmart Saturday, Feb. 6. The sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days, Frazier said Thursday.
In Chilhowie, Kelly Spencer-Hill coordinated with Food City to schedule a collection point for Feb. 5 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
In Saltville, Charlie Bill Totten was working to set up a collection at Food Country. Specific times for these points will be announced when available.
Frazier’s father, Gary Frazier at Gary's Auto Center and UHaul, is providing boxes for the shipment of the hygiene kits at cost.
For information, contact Howe at 782-3339, the VFW at 783-7971, or Marion Mayor David Helms at 783-4113.

dkegley@wythenews.com