Raising Relief
HICKORY TWP, Lawrence County — The building smells nothing like cows. Instead, the Eastbrook Mission Barn near New Castle emits the fragrance of Irish Spring soap.
No mooing either. Just the chatter of volunteers for the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
Long out of use as a working barn, Eastbrook is among a group of depots in the country where UMCOR volunteers amass kits for disaster relief, education and other forms of global humanitarian aid.
On Mondays, members of Zion United Methodist Church in Sarver have a standing date as the volunteer staff.
Although the effort is meant as a service to others, the shared experience also helps unify members of the roughly 700-member church.
"We don't get to chat like this normally," said Sandy Kalmar, 41, of Winfield Township, as she and four others spent about five hours "verifying" health kits that will replenish those being sent to Haiti.
Designed largely to provide hygiene necessities to people displaced from their homes, the health kits consist of a gallon zip-lock bag containing a comb, toothbrush, wash cloth, hand towel, soap, adhesive bandages and nail clippers. Toothpaste is added at the time of shipping to ensure the products have not expired.
Although church groups donate these and other kits already assembled, volunteers at the barn verify the kits by taking them apart and reassembling, making sure the contents adhere to strict UMCOR guidelines.
Labels are removed from towels and wash cloths. Pocket combs and picks are replaced by standard, large combs. Toothbrushes and soap are checked to be sure packaging is intact.
The barn keeps a stock of replacements for items that don't conform. The nonconforming items are donated to other causes.
According to the Rev. Nelson Thayer, pastor of Eastbrook United Methodist Church and director of the mission barn, cultural differences also are considered.
Although each of the seven types of kit has a specific list of contents, style and design can render them inappropriate in some cultures.
"No religious symbols or cartoon characters," Thayer said, noting kits often go to Muslim countries.
On Monday, nonqualifying items included a school kit in which tote bag handles were made from American flag-themed ribbon. A health kit contained a towel with a black and white Holstein pattern — a no-no in Hindi environments, where cows are viewed as sacred.In addition to the health kits, UMCOR distributes cleaning buckets: sturdy, 5 gallon pails packed with detergent, bleach, rubber gloves and other items used for flood cleanup. UMCOR also distributes school and sewing kits, bedding kits, birthing supplies and layette kits.Along with receiving diapers, blankets and other items, the layette kits include knitted or crocheted baby sweaters. Since UMCOR distributes knit and crochet patterns for the sweaters, even the homebound can participate, Thayer said.UMCOR also distributes sewing patterns for totes that hold the school kits, with many in the works at Zion.Church members are sewing the bags on their own time, with plans to display them in May at the church's annual Mission Encounter Sunday. Non-sewing parishioners can then opt to fill the bags with specified items like pencils, rulers and blunt scissors.Zion became acquainted with Eastbrook at last year's Mission Encounter Sunday, when Thayer's wife Linda introduced the project.Since then, members like Kalmar and Ginger Miller, 73, of Winfield Township have volunteered regularly at the barn. But group members change from week to week, with volunteers securing their spot on a sign-up sheet at the church."This happens to be a day off," said Debbie Sell, 61, of Winfield Township, whose work at a family owned business had prevented previous involvement. "It's been fun," Sell said.Also present for the first time Monday was Bernie Fox, 78. "I have time in the winter," said Fox, who owns a farm in Winfield Township.Although Zion maintains a weekly presence, other groups also volunteer. Thayer said Eastbrook has logged 1,400 volunteer hours so far this year — with three tons of health kits and school kits shipped in January. Six more tons of health kits are boxed and ready for transport.The mission barn is one of about 12 UMCOR depots that gather donated kits, then ship them by truck to the group's relief supply hubs in Louisiana and Utah. Those depots distribute kits as needed in the United States and abroad.Thayer said the Eastbrook depot was started in 2001, when Eastbrook United Methodist Church purchased the five-acre property that adjoins the parsonage.With barn renovations still in progress, Thayer said some volunteers also participate in improvement projects. Forestville United Methodist Church in Forestville is among those groups, he said.For more information or to volunteer, contact Thayer at mission.barn@wpaumc.org.
