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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
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March 2005 |
School children provide health kits for tsunami relief
By Laura McDonald
As a Deacon in full connection of the South Indiana Conference, I serve both the church and the world. My secular ministry is serving as a music teacher at North Harrison Elementary School in Ramsey, Ind., west of New Albany on state road 64. I think of it as having a congregation of 450 children, grades K-4. I have each child in the school for a half hour or 45 minutes twice weekly. Though I cannot teach religion as such, I am encouraged to and do teach values.
After Christmas, I was struck by how many children talked about the Tsunami disaster and the many lives lost. Of course I reassured them that such an event would not happen here, but it became clear that they wanted to do something concrete to help. I thought about doing a collection of money. The next day, however, I received my Together and its plea from Church World Service for Health Kits. The faculty had a meeting the same day, approved the idea, and our project was launched.
I set up a "sorting station" in one corner of my classroom, and we sent home a letter with the children. Response from children, parents, and staff was immediate. Most students brought supplies and some brought completed kits. One parent collected money at work and brought in 24 complete kits. A few of the children asked their own churches to help.
The students have been bringing items to help Tsunami survivors throughout the last month. They are assembled into Health Kits to ship through the regional Church World Service center in Indianapolis. The kits contain basic supplies for personal hygiene: a hand towel, washcloth, comb, nail clippers, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and band-aids in a plastic gallon zip bag.
Getting to help sort and pack kits is a privilege the children work toward. Some come in before school for the first opportunity to sort supplies and see the day's donations. A few students will sort donated items, then others assemble them in the plastic bag. Another student then double-checks the bag and puts it in a box to ship. After that, another will count the kits in each box and record the tally. Over 150 kits have been packed to ship, valued at $12 each.
This has been a fun and hopefully educational project for our students. It has kept them thinking about others in the world and helped them learn how to help. I am grateful that as a United Methodist Deacon I can initiate and lead them in that process. Hopefully, this is one small way I can build a bridge between the world and the church - my special calling as a Deacon.
Laura McDonald serves as an ordained deacon and a music teacher at North Harrison Elementary School in Ramsey, Ind.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008