The toothbrush and the toothpaste sat on a shelf waiting for the right buyer. Who would select them? Well, it was a member of Christ United Methodist Church, and they were purchased in May of 2017. They traveled to the CUMC church lobby, and there they joined toothbrushes (all individually packed) and other tubes of toothpaste weighing at least 2.5 ounces.
Then, at the end of the month Peggy Literski, packed them up and took them to the Northern Illinois Conference meeting. About 60 other churches brought toothbrushes and toothpaste and other churches in the conference brought other things (combs, soap, wash cloths, hand towels, shampoo and nail clippers). The boxes traveled to the Midwest Mission Center near Springfield, Illinois.
Volunteers at the Midwest Mission Center (which is affiliated with United Methodist Committee on Relief) packed one of each item into a plastic bag and labeled them “personal dignity kits.” The volunteers knew that last year they sent over 30,278 personal dignity kits to people who had experienced tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, or were suddenly homeless. Already this year there were calls for supplies because of the heavy rains this year in nearby states.
This was quite the adventure for the toothbrush and toothpaste. Staying in northern Illinois and living in a nice, safe household is OK for some, but lots of toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste want to be a blessing to others. Will you be able to secure some of the adventurous tubes and brushes for this year’s journey?
Be sure to purchase toothbrushes that are in individual containers and toothpaste which weighs at least 2.5 ounces. We want to replenish the supply at Midwest Mission Center. We live near areas that flood; we know what a storm-cellar is, and we hear about hurricanes on the news. We know there is a need for these, and personal dignity is sometimes as simple as having a “clean mouth.”
CUMC Mission Team