LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF PROJECTS – 2011

By: Marianne Meyer

For 2011 we have made 72 Quilts, 102 School Kits, 78 Layettes, and 106 Health Kits.

Thank you to all of you for your generous support through making school bags, cutting quilt squares and making and tying quilts, making baby sweaters, providing the many materials needed to complete these kits and cash donations that were received.  A big thank you to all who have donated their time and talent for all of the mission projects made this year.  Also for all of you who helped in the assembly of the kits and packing them.

THANK YOU TO ARLEE MUELLER FOR DELIVERING ALL OF OUR PACKED KITS TO THE LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF OFFICE IN ST. PAUL.

New Guidelines for making kits in 2012

School Kits – Continue to make in 2012.  Changes are that we will no longer be making school bags as the new guidelines require a sturdy drawstring backpack-style cloth bag approximately 14” x 17” with shoulder straps; recommended fabrics include heavy cotton, canvas, denim, and twill.  The contents of the School Kit has most of the same items, adding 5 ballpoint pens, adding an additional 70-sheet notebook (4 needed/kit), and deleting the need for construction paper.

Personal Care Kits (formerly Health Kits) – Continue to make in 2012.  Changes are that we will need one light or medium-weight bath-size towel (approximately 52” x 27”, dark color recommended, instead of a hand towel and a wash cloth.  Two bath-size bars of soap are required.  We will need one nail clipper instead of a nail file.  The toothbrush and sturdy comb remain the same.

Mission Quilts – Continue to make in 2012.  No changes to these guidelines. 

Baby Care Kits (formerly Layettes) – Due to the new guidelines we will discontinue making these kits for 2012.  The Women of Mount Olive have supplemented these kits for 2010 with more funds that our budget allowed.  We estimated that the cost to make one Baby Care Kit would be approximately $35.00.  We currently do not have the resources to make these kits.  Sleepers with feet and onesies are no longer in the Baby Care Kit.  These are replaced with cotton t-shirts, long or short-sleeved gowns or sleepers without feet, two pairs of socks, a jacket with a hood or include a baby cap, one hand town (dark colored recommended) two bath-size bars of gentle soap, two receiving blankets, two diaper pins.

Fabric Kits – Discontinued in 2011 due to cost of fabric.  The new guidelines require two pieces of fabric: 2-1/4 yards 0f 60” wide fabric, or 3 yards of 44” wide fabric, or 4 yards of 36” wide fabric.  Two spools of matching or neutral-colored general purpose thread (250-300 yards).  Needles have been discontinued as they have sewing machines now.