Last week there was a devastating earth quake in Haiti. Thousands upon thousands of people are without clean water, food to eat, or medical supplies to handle even simple cuts and scrapes. The quake was centered near the dense urban area of the coastal city Port-Au-Prince. Many structures collapsed, roads became impassable, and public services were virtually knocked out in a matter of moments as the earth heaved and the ground split open. The loss of life directly related to the quake and collapsing buildings and structures is enormous, but the potential loss of life from disease and suffering is an order of magnitude larger.
Preparing Hygiene Kits for Haiti
My family and I are blessed to be in the position to donate some hygiene supplies to be shipped to Haiti to provide relief for those that survived the quake, but are suffering through the aftermath. A new church in the area organized a gathering for families and individuals in our community to drop off materials and assemble the kits for delivery to UMCOR. The sense of community and caring was overwhelming. Participants of all ages were active in the assembly simple kits containing:
- 1 hand towel (15″ x 25″ up to 17″ x 27″, No kitchen towels)
- 1 washcloth
- 1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
- 1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
- 1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
- 1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, No child-size brushes)
- 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
- $1.00 to purchase toothpaste (toothpaste will be purchased in bulk, after we put the kits together, to be added before shipping to ensure that the product does not expire before they are sent.)
This list of materials was provided to the church by the UMCOR.
I couldn’t help but think what if the situation was reversed. What if there had been an earthquake here in Michigan, or a flood, or a tornado. How many of these caring, generous individuals have even this simple level of preparation for their own family? If the disaster were here, they couldn’t go to a local store and buy them for themselves. If they had them for themselves, would they be in a position to provide an extra set of supplies for a neighbor or friend that might need some?
Many of you that read this may store other essential items besides food. You might have extra soap, and toothpaste stored. Many of you might not have considered keeping a few of these essentials around. Try to remember the effort you see put forth here by caring individuals, and recognize that this could happen to you, where you live; in your town or state. Think of your friends and neighbors and if you would be in a position to help them if they came knocking on your door after a hurricane hits.
I personally suggest at the bare minimum having a small bag like this ready to grab at a moments notice should you need to evacuate your home in the time of disaster. Keep a small supply of your medications (that you rotate out monthly) in the bag as well. What would you do if a tanker spilled some chemicals just down the street from your house? You might only need to evacuate for 72 hours, but wouldn’t those 72 hours be a lot more comfortable if you had the bare necessities of what you might need. Things like your blood pressure medication, your pain medication, or an anti-depressant you might be taking? Why unnecessarily exacerbate a stressful situation with high blood pressure, pain, or depression?
The list above is in no way a recommendation of what I recommend. It is a starting point for people who may have nothing prepared. At the bare minimum have one of these kits available for yourself. Take the time to go to www.ready.gov and prepare some of the items they recommend.
Take the time to put aside a little extra so you can help yourself and your friends and neighbors in a time of need even if you are also in need.
