Kit Assembly!
August 26th, 2008 at 4:55 pm | posted by Virginia SimmonsWe’re at the service project. It kicked off with short speeches by ONE President and CEO David Lane and an incredible Zambian AIDS activist Princess Zulu.
Right now, volunteers are running off to prepare kits for AIDS caregivers around the world.
The kits include simple items like wash cloths, cotton balls, soap, petroleum jelly. The kinds of things we take for granted everyday in America. And the kinds of things that can literally save lives around the world. Each bag of cotton balls, for example, will be washed and re-used for months.
I’m attaching photos below. They include photos of the supplies, assembly lines and packing up. Note the ones of people writing notes, every kit includes a handwritten note from the volunteer who assembled it - to the caregiver who will receive it.
I’m taking a bunch of video now too, but have to wait until I have silghtly better Internet to upload them.
August 26th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I’ll stop commenting soon, haha, but these look so great ….
August 26th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Thanks Ginny for this post. It finally answers the question that I have been asking in this blog for over a week about what these “Caregiver Kits” would entail. I kinda figured that these kits would be as you described as a local church in my area did something similar to these kits a few years ago.
Probably the most important part of these kits will actually NOT be the sanitary articles contained within them but the notes from those who assembled the kits to the caregivers. The sense of knowing that they are not forgotten by the world nor are they alone in their situation will ultimately be more healing for them and those that they care for than all the petroleum jelly in the world.(smile)
I know……..I’ve been there and I’ve done that. Bless you, World Vision and all the volunteers who just gave a lot of people a sense of renewed hope for their futures. ~
ONE HEART, ONE HOPE, ONE VOICE, ONE LOVE - debbie
www.mpwn-uganda.org
August 26th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
https://www.travizonmcc.com/Public/ap.aspx?EID=ACTI16E
and they were facebook causes too. word has been out for a while.
ginny, so glad there was a great turnout, and awesome to see the children taking part as they were. the way to develop future lobbyists and activists are to bring them along side us. in seattle, a child write to a congressman about a specific piece of legislation at one of our meetings, and get a personal response back (many of the congressmen are fathers and grandfathers themselves and do respond), the child treasures the letter and a trip to school to show and tell and do a lot to way-lay cynicism in their future. We had children in Congressman Larsen’s office in DC this year and he was great with them.
i’m looking forward to the videos, sounds like things are going great in Denver, i’m watching a few blogs of friends there, fun stuff.
ONE could use their own network, wasn’t sir bob working on a tv network possibility for a while? the network coverage can get on a person’s nerves. we need a proactive, positive, coexistent one. where issues are front and center. how cool would that be?
now, i hope some of those volunteers come back and help shovel up and bag those pennies for the next convention. i’d love to be a fly on the wall at the weigh station when they pull through!!! =P
staying close,
sammi =)
August 26th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
I think it’s great everyone is helping out on a global scale…….but what about our own people at home who need our help with the same issues? I continue to be dissapointed in this country’s political process (don’t fool yourselves, it’s a one party system still owned by the lobbyists), and our apparent unawareness or unwillingness to take care of our own citizens first. Keep helping however you feel called to. Just think of your immidiate neighbors who are just as in need. (New Orleans could still use all our help).
August 26th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
any takers for james’ question?
August 27th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I appreciate that James’ question was posed very intelligently, and thoughtfully.
Both of my parents called me from New Orleans today, to express their concerns about the new hurricane approaching the city.
The family home where I grew up (not much to look at, but still) was lost in Katrina, and an empty lot now sits where it stood. Every time I go home for Christmas, I see an eerie half-ghost town where the colorful city I loved used to exist.
One of the things I hear repeated over and over in forums devoted to overseas charity is:
“But what about the people here at home?”
My answer is always the same:
“What about them? Yes, they need your help. Help them. Send aid. Volunteer time. ”
Fortunately, helping people in the U.S. and helping people in other countries is NOT a mutually exclusive proposition.
(Heifer International, for example, helps people in the U.S. just as they do people in other countries.)
There’s lots of love to go around.
The environment. International aid. Domestic aid. Animal rights. Government reform. Healthcare issues of all kinds.
They’re all just different pieces of the puzzle.
Pick a piece.