- Sharon Christopher

Join us March 21 from 12 -1 p.m. for the 2010 Care for Kids Program hosted by Trinity. Local organizations, including Children's Foundation of Mid-America, Gateway Homeless Shelter for Women and Children, Basket of Hope, and our own Winger Food Pantry will share their inspirational work and stories of hope as they serve children and families at risk. Learn about the many volunteer, donor and adoption/fostering opportunities available with these groups. Donated items are welcome at the event, including duffel bags, books for ages 5 and up, diapers (all sizes), children's socks (all sizes), and canned goods and other non-perishable food items. Monetary donations will support HAITI Children's Relief.

- Lynn Reid

I bet many in our congregation are feeling as I am watching the tragic images coming from Haiti. We feel helpless and want to roll up our sleeves and do something to ease the pain and suffering.

Looking at the Presbyterian Diaster Relief website, there are suggestions for assembling kits that would be handed out to people during mission work in Haiti. I think this would be a perfect project for Trinity. Think of the response to our Advent bag project and the cookie drive this year. This project would be like a combination of the two.

There are seven items in the hygiene kit (hand towel, washcloth, soap, toothbrush, bandaids, etc.), which are then put into a gallon ziplock. You can sign up to bring items by email or in the Narthex. We will assemble the kits together, and maybe even raise some funds (including what we would need for postage to mail the kits).

A soup/chili lunch is scheduled for February 7 after church. There will be a loose offering and the proceeds will go for mailing the kits, with the extra money raised sent to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Following the lunch, we will assemble the kits. If we can donate 2,000 cookies, we can assemble dozens and dozens of kits. I would think that we could do a least one hundred kits.

We will need people to organize and promote collecting the items and putting the kits together on that Sunday, as well as people to help shop, set-up, cook, serve and clean-up at the lunch. Please let me or Liz know if you are interesting in pitching in.

Liz Nelson, Church Administrator

• 80 - hand towels (approximately
• 16" x 28", no fingertip or bath towels)
• 60 - washcloths
• 60 - wide-tooth combs
• 80 - nail clippers (no metal files or emery boards)
• 10 - bars of soap (bath size in wrapper)
• 50 - toothbrushes (in original packaging)
• about 300? - Band-Aids® or other adhesive bandage strips
• 60+ -- 1-gallon ziplock bags with zipper closure

And if you cannot get out to shop, we will accept cash and checks and do the shopping for you!

REMEMBER:

"Tailgate" with Trinity! Before the Superbowl on Sunday, Feb. 7^th, please plan to stay after worship for a chili and soup lunch and a time of fellowship as we assemble your donated items into hygiene kits for PC (USA)'s Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program. The funds from a freewill donation for the lunch will cover shipping costs, with the remainder to be sent directly for Haiti relief.

If you want to help with the meal or the project on Feb. 7th please send me an email (and thanks to those who have already volunteered!).

"Tailgate" with Trinity! Before the Superbowl on Sunday, Feb. 7^th, please plan to stay after worship for a chili and soup lunch and a time of fellowship as we assemble your donated items into hygiene kits for PC (USA)'s Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program. The funds from a freewill donation for the lunch will cover shipping costs, with the remainder to be sent directly for Haiti relief.

As we have done for years with our Advent Bags, please sign up In the Narthex (or via email) to bring a certain amount of the following items. Our goal is to assemble 100 bags, but we donated over 2,000 cookies recently - who knows WHAT we can do for our brothers and sisters in Haiti!:

Hygiene Kit

• 1 - hand towel (approximately
• 16" x 28", no fingertip or bath towels)
• 1 - washcloth
• 1 - wide-tooth comb
• 1 - nail clipper (no metal files or emery boards)
• 1 - bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)
• 1 - toothbrush (in original packaging)
• 6 - Band-Aids or other adhesive bandage strips
• 1 - one - gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure

Please do not add toothpaste. Toothpaste which has an extended expiration date will be added to Hygiene Kit shipments by PDA just prior to shipment. Seal all items in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure.

What You Can Do:

• Sign up and bring items on the list between now and Sunday, Feb. 7^th (before church)
• Leave the items on the designated table in the Dining Room
• Or write a check to Trinity Presbyterian Church with "Haiti kits" in the memo line and send or bring it to church by Wednesday Feb. 3^rd so items can be purchased by Sunday the 7^th. Funds for shipping costs of the kits can come in as last as Sunday the 7^th
• Bring your appetite for a chili and soup lunch. A freewill offering will be taken
• Bring the whole family! Invite friends!

Questions: Lynn Reid (lmtreid@sbcglobal.net), Liz Nelson (tpcucity@swbell.net)

- Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

THANK YOU for your generous gifts of compassion. As of Thursday, January 14, 2010, $109,000 had been received in donations for Haiti. Your generosity has enabled Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to increase the amount of funds sent to Haiti response to $209,000. PDA has committed to providing at least $500,000 towards the response.

Funds are being used to help with basic humanitarian relief efforts of providing temporary shelter, food and health assistance. Funds are also being used to provide water and sanitation engineers, and equipment to construct water purification systems. Resources for building latrines are also being provided, as the sanitation situation is critical. PDA will be supporting communities in the long struggle to rebuild from this disaster - the worst earthquake to strike Haiti in 200 years.

As God's people, we are called to stand in the "GAP"-Give, Act, Pray.

Give - Financial support for relief efforts can be designated to DR000064. Gifts can be made online, by phone at (800) 872-3283, or by check. Gifts by check may be given through your local Presbyterian congregation or mailed to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburg, PA 15264-3700. Please include the designated giving account number on your check.

Act - Make Gift of the Heart kits. Congregations and individuals can assembly hygiene kits and baby kits. Instructions are on the PDA Web site. Advocate for Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. Information can be found on the Presbyterian Washington Office Web site. Stay informed. Visit the PDA Web site for answers to frequently asked questions and for resources to aid in discussions.

A reproducible bulletin insert is available for download [pdf] to help in your interpretation and PDA also encourages you to use the hymn "In Haiti, There is Anguish," written by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette.

Pray - You can join with others in lifting up the people of Haiti and those seeking to provide aid in this critical time.