Hurricane Sandy Victim Clean Up Kits

School Kits
School Kits give children in disaster impacted areas some of the basic tools for learning. To assemble a School Kit you will need:

• One pair of blunt metal scissors (rounded tip)
• Three 70-count spiral notebooks or notebooks totaling 200-210 pages (no loose-leaf or filler paper)
• One 30-centimeter ruler (12")
• One hand-held pencil sharpener
• One large eraser
• Six new pencils with erasers
• One box of 24 crayons (only 24)
• One 12" x 14" to 14" x 17" finished size cotton or lightweight canvas bag with cloth handles. (Please, no reusable shopping bags or backpacks.)

Pack all items inside the cloth bag.

School Kit bag pattern
School Kit bag materials needed: 1/2 yd "Kid-friendly" Fabric

Make the bag:

• Cut two pieces of fabric 13" X 17"
• Place the two pieces together, right sides together, and sew a 1/2" seam down one side, across the bottom, and up the other side, leaving the top open.
• Turn the bag so the seam is in the inside.
• Turn under 1/2" on the top edge and press.
• Turn under 2" at the top edge to form a hem and stitch.

Make the handles:

• Cut two pieces of fabric 4" X 22"
• Fold in half one of the 4" X 22" pieces with right sides together. Stitch with a 1/2"” seam allowance and turn inside out, or turn under and press 1/2" on long side of fabric. Fold wrong sides together. Top stitch close to edge. Press.
• Repeat for the second handle. Press.
• Turn under raw edges and stitch to the top of the bag.

Finished bag will be approximately 12" X 14". Place school items in bag. Canvas tote bags can also be used. Inexpensive canvas bags are available at areacraft and discount stores or can be found online.

Hygiene Kits
In the face of natural disasters, violence, or grinding poverty, Hygiene Kits can mean the difference between sickness and health for struggling families. To assemble a Hygiene Kit you will need:

• One hand towel measuring approximately 16" x 28" (no fingertip or bath towels)
• One washcloth
• One wide-tooth comb
• One nail clipper
• One bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)
• One toothbrush (in original packaging)
• Six standard size Band-Aids

Place all items in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure, remove excess air from bag, and seal. Please do not add toothpaste to the Hygiene Kit. Cartons of toothpaste that have an extended expiration date will be added to Hygiene Kit shipments just prior to shipment.

Baby Care Kits
In areas of extreme poverty or following a natural disaster, Baby Care Kits help young mothers care for their newborn babies. To assemble a Baby Care Kit you will need:

• Six cloth diapers
• Two T-shirts or undershirts (no onesies)
• Two washcloths
• Two gowns or sleepers
• Two diaper pins
• One sweater or sweatshirt (Can be handknitted or crocheted)
• Two receiving blankets (one can be a hand-knitted or crocheted baby blanket)

Items must be new and under 12 months in size. Wrap items inside one of the receiving blankets and secure with both diaper pins.

Emergency Clean-up Buckets
These supplies enable people to begin the overwhelming job of cleaning up after a flood, hurricane, tornado, or other disaster. To assemble an Emergency Clean-up Bucket you will need:

• One five-gallon bucket with resealable lid
• Five scouring pads
• Seven sponges, assorted sizes
• One scrub brush
• Eighteen cleaning towels (reusable, like Easy Wipes)
• One 50-78 oz. box dry laundry detergent
• One 12 oz. bottle of liquid concentrated household cleaner (like Lysol)
• One 25 oz. bottle liquid disinfectant dish soap (like Dawn)
• One package of 48-50 clothespins
• Clothesline, two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.
• Five dust masks
• Two pairs latex gloves (like Playtex)
• One pair work gloves
• 28-bag roll of heavy-duty trash bags (30-45 gallon)
• One 6-9 oz. bottle of insect repellent (pump, drops or lotion, not aerosol)

Please provide all liquids in new, unopened plastic bottles. Be sure to send only new materials. Place all items in the plastic bucket, making sure they are packed securely to avoid damage during shipment, and seal lid with packing tape.

To share in the effort and get a list of items needed, contact the church or call 724-7433.