| In 1999, hoping to
top our previous year's total, we tried streamlining our project.
We decided to assemble just two types of kits and chose the Health
and School kits since they were the ones most needed. Inserts
in the church bulletin listed the materials we would need for
each kit. We put up lists of materials and decorated boxes in
a prominent location to remind everyone. Several of our members
became regular visitors to local "dollar stores" to
find bargains on toothbrushes, soap, or crayons. As we compared
notes on our purchases and counted items we had and what we still
needed, the kits served to bring people together in new and unexpected
ways. One of our members proved to be a wonder at the sewing machine
and made many cloth bags for the School kits out of scraps of
material. We received $75 in donations to help supply the kits
and defray the postage. We also decided to have a potluck luncheon
to encourage more participation. We held the luncheon and the
kit preparation around Valentine s Day and incorporated the heart
motif into our preparations. The fellowship we shared at the luncheon
was wonderful. The children found an outlet for their energy at
the assembly line we created to put the kits together. When we
were all done, we had created 84 kits---three times as many as
the previous year!
In 2000, we again made the Health and School kits and assembled
them at a fellowship luncheon. Now we were true professionals
at finding the best places for the materials. One member had
a relative who was a dentist and who could get toothpaste for
us. We got some interesting looks as we purchased all of the
nail files at the local grocery store because they had the best
price we could find. Elder Kathy Meyer organized all the supplies
and gave us running totals of everything collected so far. Members
started checking the current totals at coffee hour and promised
to look for items we still needed. Somehow we wound up with
the right numbers of everything--or sent someone to the store
at the last minute to fill in the gaps. Messages in the monthly
newsletter let the congregation know about the different places
that the kits were sent and this helped to make it all more
personal for us. We assembled 125 Health and School kits in
2000--another increase!! When we read about the many places
the kits are sent to and the different people who benefit from
them, we realize that we are truly blessed.
Instructions for Making Gift of the
Heart Kits
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