Dear Members of Harcourt Church:

Please read the email below from Paul and Joanne Harrison, members of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, Guelph, regarding items needed for Relief Kits for Haiti - a project coordinated by the Mennonite Central Committee.

Harcourt Church will be involved in gathering items for this worthwhile cause. The Harrisons will be collecting items for the kits which they will pick up here at Harcourt. We need your donations by Sun. Feb. 14. There will be boxes in the cloak room for your items. They are very specific about their needs -- See below for details of items for kits.

Thank you for your ongoing generosity.

[For more information about MCC you may visit MCC’s website at www.mcc.org ]

--Original Message-- From: Paul and Joanne Harrison [mailto:pjharrison@rogers.com] Sent: Friday, January 22, 2010 7:41 AM To: 'Paul and Joanne Harrison' Subject: Haiti and some help

Hello everyone,

We know you have probably given in many ways to Haiti already but were wondering if you would like to contribute again in a little way. The MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) is making up little kits to take to Haiti. They are presently there on the ground but by the end of February will be getting these kits there. At the moment, they are asking the public for 20,000 kits, 10,000 heavy comforters, and 10,000 flat bed sheets. EVERYTHING HAS TO BE NEW and NOT USED.

Paul and I decided we would put together a couple of kits. I have included a list of things needed in the attachment. To put a kit together costs about $100 by the time you buy everything. We will do two kits of our own but then wondered if we contacted others, we might also be able to assemble more kits by people giving one or two items. That is where you come in. Would you be able to read through the attachment and donate one or two of the things on the list?? We can get them from you, either at your house, at the next teachers’ breakfast on Feb. 3 or 17th, or after church at St. Andrews in the church hall. We are going to Ottawa the last week of February and would like to have the things to deliver to Elmira on the 18th and 19th.

One word about the sheets and towels. You can read about them on the attachment. They need to be at least 300 thread count according to the MCC and not used. The towels need to be medium weight and not used. I am going to go to Budd’s to see if they will give be a little discount if they have what I want. The towels are part of the kit, but the sheets are not.

After we get the items, we will arrange them in kit bags and take them to the MCC in Elmira. They will then put each kit in a plastic pail with a lid (that they provide) and that is how they go to Haiti. The sheets go separately as they are not part of the kit.

If anyone is interested in making a quilt type single blanket, I have the instructions for that; they are also sending them along.

We really appreciate your help if you can give it and look forward to hearing from you.

Paul and Joanne

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Relief Kits

MCC is asking for donations of 20,000 relief kits as part of its response to the Haiti earthquake. These relief kits provide valuable supplies to families traumatized by war and disasters. In recent years, kits have been sent to Iraq, Gaza, Bosnia, Serbia, Nepal, Mozambique, Indonesia and Honduras.

Contents (NEW items only)

· 4 large bars bath soap (leave in wrapping)

· 1 plastic bottle shampoo (380-710ml / 13-24 oz.; place bottle in a re-sealable plastic bag)

· 4 large bars of laundry soap (Some stores carry Fels Naptha, Sunlight or Zote brands)

· 1 squeeze tube toothpaste (minium 130 ml; leave in box)

· 4 adult size toothbrushes (leave in packaging)

· 4 new bath towels (medium weight, dark or bright colours)

· 2 wide-tooth combs (6 to 8 inches; 15-20 cm)

· 1 fingernail clipper

· 1 box adhesive bandages (minimum 40, assorted)

· 1 package sanitary pads (18-24 thin maxi)

They also need FLAT bed sheets to use as bedding and mosquito nets. The cotton should be at least 300 thread count and double OR queen OR king size.

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