Big Care Package Going from Kitsap to Haiti
POSTED ON Jan 29, 2010 / UPDATED ON Jan 27, 2011
Some of the vounteer crew pose with the full container.
Donated supplies start pouring in.
Volunteers sort shoes
COTN intern Cory Davis loads boxes of food packets packaged last week by CK Presbyterian Church
Donated medical supplies including much-needed crutches.
Volunteer Eric Vasquez loads supplies with the forklift.
COTN staff Peter Drennan and a volunteer load boxes into the container
COTN staff Jim Stuart (left) and volunteers load the container
SmilePacks loaded inside tires to take advantage of every inch of space.
Loading the container to the brim.
Dave Schertzer, COTN Resource Director, says "It is full!"
Closing the doors
Locking the container
Praying over the container as it prepares to depart.
Excerpts courtesy of Brynn Grimly, Kitsap Sun reporter (photos by Mark Gsellman)
Kingston, Washington — Boxes of medical supplies headed for Haiti were loaded into a 40-foot shipping container at the Kennedy Business Center in Poulsbo, Washington on Thursday. They were packed next to prepackaged meals, mattresses, tents, sleeping bags, shoes, hygiene items and even an X-ray machine.
Over the next 25 days the container will travel by train to New York, then on a ship down the Atlantic Coast to the Dominican Republic, where Children of the Nations volunteers are waiting.
The supplies were brought in boxes to Children of the Nations from church groups, individuals and businesses from across the peninsula and Seattle. Many boxes—including 609 meal packs—came from supplies the nonprofit regularly ships to the countries it serves.
"We shipped a total of 131,544 meals on Thursday," said Dave Schertzer, resources director for the Christian nonprofit. "We also sent all of our SmilePacks, which contain toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and shampoo."
Medical supplies are in high demand, and not just bandages, syringes and hand sanitizer. Harrison Medical Center donated an X-ray machine. CMX Medical Imaging, a Tukwila-based provider of imaging supplies, donated film, development chemicals, lead aprons and a mobile darkroom.
Each of the items were safely packed inside the container Thursday, surrounded by wheel chairs, crutches, blankets and even a set of tires donated by the Poulsbo Les Schwab. The tires will go to a bus used to shuttle supplies to Haiti.
The container from Kitsap will join similar ones leaving Florida and California. The organization plans to send a fourth container from Kitsap in March.
The nonprofit is also looking to connect with pilots able to fly emergency supplies to medical crews in the Dominican Republic from Florida.
“Our staff down there is assessing the situation with the Haitians,” Schertzer said. “They anticipate the May and June months, when some of the organizations pull out and the media coverage stops, will be the time of greatest need because it’s going to take years to rebuild the nation.”
Children of the Nations does not have an office in Haiti, but its Dominican Republic office is near the border. Some of its staff are Haitian and are using their ties to connect with orphaned children. “Everything we do goes back to the nationals raising those children to become the leaders of their nations,” Schertzer said.
Trying to hold back tears Thursday while he watched volunteers load the container, Jim Wilson, Chief Operating Officer, said the organization was grateful for the continued support from the community. “Everybody wants to help, which is great, because this is going to go on for a long time.”
Post-event update provided by Dave Schertzer, COTN Resource Director:
"We are overwhelmed by the support of people across Puget Sound who made a huge difference for children in need," shared Dave. "Over 50 volunteers turned out to sort and load donations that came from thousands of volunteers. "We packed tents, tarps, coolers, crutches—a great start to support our DR staff to meet real needs in Haiti."
Volunteers included groups and individuals from:
- IBC Church – Port Angeles and peninsula
- Harbor Covenant Church – Gig Harbor
- Corrine Neild – Seattle (300 Hygiene SmilePacks from her email contacts)
- Many COTN-Silverdale and COTN-Seattle staffers
- Poulsbo, Silverdale, Bremerton
Key Donations included:
- Harrison Hospital – donated x-ray machine
- CDX Imaging Tukwila – donated x-ray machine supplies
- Kingston Premier Rentals – free forklift
- Kennedy Business Park – free warehouse space
- Budget Truck – discounted truck rental
- Peninsula Truck Lines – Free trailer and trucking supplies to event
- Poulsbo Les Schwab – discounted bus tires
SmilePacks shipped:
Estimated at over 2,500. (We sent every pack we had, so we need more for the next container in March, and more for the FL, and CA containers.)
Food shipped:
609 boxes (131,544 meals) made by the following groups:
- Lopez Island School – Lopez Island, WA
- Missio Lux Church – Sammamish, WA
- Northwest Foursquare Church – Federal Way, WA
- Mount Olive Lutheran Church – Yakima, WA
- Pioneer Middle School – Walla Walla, WA
- Arsenal Soccer Team – Issaquah, WA
- FLAME Missions – Snohomish, WA
- Cedarhome Baptist Awanas Club – Stanwood, WA
- Kirkland Seventh Day Adventist School – Kirkland, WA
- The Downtown Church – Bellevue, WA
- Mill Creek Foursquare Church "KOM" Kids on a Mission – Mill Creek, WA
- Central Kitsap Presbyterian Church – Bremerton, WA
- Annika Bunnel's Birthday Party – Sammamish, WA
WAY TO GO COTN SUPPORTERS! We couldn't have done it without you!!!!
For more information on donating resources contact Dave Schertzer at daveschertzer@cotni.org or view our Haiti Resonse Effort Needs List.