Also see www.one.org

Trinity parishioners are sewing up to 270 cloth bags (one for each family in the parish) for Health, School, and Sewing Kits being sent around the world. You can help us fill them. Using the very specific (this is critically important-each bag's contents must be identical to the other bags'contents) instructions below, pick which kit you want to help with, buy the contents, and bring it to church between now and March 18th 2007.

Or, you can donate dollars for the contents of the bag. You can write a check to Trinity Church with "MDG fund" in the memo line of your check.

Here's what we need:

Health Kits

• Health Kit Contents (NEW items only) costs approximately $4-5
• 1 toothbrush (adult size; leave in wrapper)
• 1 squeeze-tube toothpaste (minimum 130ml / 6oz; leave in box)
• 1 bar soap (110-140g / 4-5oz, in wrapper)
• 1 fingernail clipper
• 1 hand towel (larger than fingertip, dark color)

Health kits are often presented to children living in refugee camps, who do not have access to hygiene supplies. Some are given to women in rural education centers to encourage health care. People in such countries as Bosnia, Haiti, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine have received health kits in the past few years. Trinity is working ecumenically on this with the Mennonite Church, which sent more than 42,000 health kits to these areas in 2004 alone. Health Kits will also be dispersed to homeless people in downtown Minneapolis by one of Trinity's parishioners, Dr. Jim Miner, via the Hennepin County Medical Center emergency room. This is really a great way we can make a difference here!

School Kits

• School Kit Contents (NEW items only) costs approximately $4-5
• 4 spiral or perforated notebooks (about 21.5cm x 27cm / 8.5" x 10.5" and 70-80 sheets U.S.)
• 4 unsharpened pencils
• 1 ruler (flat, flexible plastic; indicating both 30cm and 12")
• 12 colored pencils (in packaging)
• 1 large pencil eraser

School kits are the most requested item. They are given primarily to refugee and displaced children, helping students and teachers add some normalcy to disrupted lives. Also areas that experienced natural disasters receive them with joy. School kits go to children in places such as Bosnia, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Liberia, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine and to poorly funded schools in Canada and the United States.

Sewing Kits

• Sewing Kit Contents (NEW items only) costs approx. $20
• 1 metric tape measure
• 2 spools dual use white thread (cotton/polyester, minimum 273m / 300 yards each)
• 2 spools dual use black thread (cotton/polyester, minimum 273m / 300 yards each)
• 1 thimble (medium size)
• 1 dressmaker's scissors (good quality)
• 1 pkg. needles (approx. 25)
• 1 pkg. straight pins (approx. 100)
• 1 pkg. hooks and eyes (approx. 12)
• 1 pkg. sew on snaps (approx. 20-25)
• 10 assorted safety pins

Sewing kits provide basic tools to make and mend clothing. These tools will be used often and must be of good quality. They are sent to people in such countries as Bosnia, Haiti, Liberia, Nicaragua, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine.

If you want more information about these and other kits designed and distributed by the Mennonite Church and about Mennonite organizations, please see http://www.mcc.org/kits/.

Trinity Church Contact: Donna Minter - (952) 934-0667.