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An Appeal from the Skete of Saint Anna, Holy Mountain Athos »
Posted on January 14, 2010 in Parish News - 0 COMMENTS
URGENT APPEAL FOR HYGIENE KITS: Relief for the Beleaguered People of Haiti
by Rev Fr Chris Flesoras
For the people of Haiti, the hemisphere’s poorest country, life was difficult enough before the massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated the capital of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday.
Since news of the earthquake came to light, nonsectarian relief agencies like International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) have begun coordinating a response to the growing need in Haiti. Given the magnitude of the quake and the poverty that already existed before the disaster, IOCC has mobilized its disaster response team and is preparing to respond to the tremendous needs in close coordination with Orthodox and ecumenical partners.
An immediate need is the assembly of hygiene kits to be sent to the region. In a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure, please include the following items: 1 hand towel, 1 washcloth, 1 comb, 1metal nail file or nail clipper, 1 bar of soap (bath size, new and wrapped in original packaging), 1 toothbrush (no toothpaste) and 6 Band-Aids.
Completed kits can be dropped off at Saint Anna Greek Orthodox Church (1001 Stone Canyon Drive, 916.772.9372, http://www.saintanna.org). Partnering with IOCC and Church World Services (CWS), kits will be collected and sent on a weekly basis to relief organizations responding in Haiti. For more information, please contact Fr. Christopher or visit http://www.iocc.org/kits.
IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented over $300 million in relief and development programs in 33 countries around the world.
