An Opportunity

Dear Friends and Family,

My dad has offered to pay the expense of shipping a container of supplies to the Village of Hope High Risk Children’s Center in Ethiopia. It should be shipped in January. Many of you have asked me what kinds of things the children and families over there need. Usually it is hard to take very much because you just have to pack it in your luggage. With this opportunity of sending it in a shipping container we can gather and send the larger items they need. The following is a list of needed supplies that we are going to try and get in the container. This list has been compiled by Deanna Kennard who is the founder and administrator of Village of Hope. Village of Hope is trying to get permission to ship the clothes with the container. Even if they don’t get permission to send the clothes in the container we can take them in ours and their luggage whenever anyone goes over. Pertaining to the clothing DeAnna mentions “the kids there literally wear their clothes until there is nothing left of them, even if they are too little, so please give only new or like-new donations. It is really not worth it to take things that are beginning to wear.” She just mentions this because it is both expensive and taxing to get these clothes to the kids so if they are on the verge of wearing out it isn’t worth taking over.

Blankets

twin sheets

sturdy toys

a couple high chairs

playpen

Excersaucer, vibrating chair, swing etc.

We also need medicine, especially OTC types, which I will hand carry because I don't want to risk shipping it for lots of reasons, but if you know anyone who works in a hospital, most of the medical stuff we use & donate to hospitals there was rescued from the garbage here. Hospitals open many kits and only use one or two things from them, or sterility has been broken, etc.

I am collecting medical books for the nursing college there and any charts or teaching supplies.

School supplies, including whiteboards and chalkboards.

We are also gathering instruments for the youth groups.

As for clothes, I do not give clothes to adults, only children whose parents have earned them. I figure we have opened many opportunities for the adults to work. I do take practical clothes for teens (modest and washable), and shoes of all sizes. The kids clothes should meet the same criteria, jeans and tee-shirts are great. Usually, the little girls all wear dresses, ones made from tee-shirts make very practical dresses. They all need jackets and sweatshirts.

You might want to remind the women that the babies there do not wear diapers so onesies are impractical.

Thanks again for your interest and willingness to help these children and families. Any thing you gather can be brought to my house and I will get them to the container and Ethiopia. Please feel free to pass this on to any one you think could help.

Thanks,

Cherish

Any questions feel free to ask me or visit Village of Hope's website. It is listed under Humanitarian sites I love.