Making Gift of the Heart Kits
Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church assembled cleanup buckets on Pentecost Day. Read their story and other creative ideas. Photo thanks to Bert Colter.
Gift of the Heart kits or other kits are an excellent “hands on” project for youth groups and other groups that want a tangible way to be involved. School Kits and Hygiene Kits are often the most in demand.
Gift of the Heart Kit contents: bulletin insert
Download
Downloadable posters
school kit
hygiene kit
Stories and ideas
Read about creative ways congregations, children’s groups, and others have collected materials and participated in the Gift of the Heart Kits ministry.
Baby Kit
Value $39
6 — cloth diapers*
2 — T-shirts or undershirts (no onesies)
2 — washcloths
*Note: While cloth diapers are not as commonly used in the United States, they are a necessary part of the layette. 12-packs of cloth diapers can be purchased at Target and many Sears stores or may be purchased online at one of the following sites:
Cotton Babies **
ClothDiaper.com **
BabyBestBuy
Thanks Mama
** denotes sites that also offer diaper pins
2 — gowns or sleepers
2 — diaper pins **
1 — sweater or sweatshirt
2 — receiving blankets (one can be a hand-knitted or crocheted baby blanket)
All items should be new and under 12 months in size. Wrap items inside one of the receiving blankets and secure with both diaper pins. Patterns are available for a knitted baby blanket and a knitted sweater.
Other patterns are available on the CWS website.
Cleanup Bucket
Value $56
1 — 5-gallon bucket with resealable lid*
5 — scouring pads
7 — sponges, assorted sizes
1 — scrub brush
1 — pkg. cleaning towels (18 reusable, like Easy Wipes®)
1 — box dry laundry detergent, 50-78 oz.
1 — liquid concentrated household cleaner (like Lysol®), 12 oz.
1 — bottle liquid disinfectant dish soap (like Dawn®), 24-28 oz.
1 — 1 pkg. clothespins, 48-50 Clothesline, two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.
5 — dust masks
2 pair — latex gloves (like Playtex®)
1 pair — work gloves
1 — 24 to 28 count roll heavy-duty trash bags (30-45 gallon, remove from carton)
1 — bottle insect repellant (pump, drops or lotion; not aerosol), 6-9 oz.
Please purchase all liquids in plastic bottles. Send only new, unopened materials. Put all items in the plastic bucket, packed securely to avoid damage during shipment, and seal lid with packing tape. If shipping, place each bucket in a separate box.
*Some local fast-food restaurants are willing to give pickle buckets (or other 5-gallon buckets with re-sealable lids) or offer them for a small fee. These can be washed out and used for the cleanup buckets.
School Kit
Value $15
1 — pair of blunt scissors (rounded tip)
3 — 70-count spiral notebooks or tape-bound pads of 8" x 10 1/2" ruled paper or pads with 200-210 sheets of ruled paper. Do not include filler paper.
1 — 30-centimeter ruler (12")
1 — hand-held pencil sharpener
6 — new pencils with erasers
1 — large eraser
1 — box of 24 crayons
1 — cloth bag, 12" x 14" to 14" x 16" finished size cotton cloth bag with cloth handles; pattern available. Please do not use grocery bags.
Pack all items in the cloth bag.
Hygiene Kit (previously Health Kit)
Value $10
1 — hand towel (approximately 16" x 28", no fingertip or bath towels)
1 — washcloth
1 — wide-tooth comb (remove from package)
1 — nail clipper (no metal files or emery boards; remove from package)
1 — bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)
1 — toothbrush (in original packaging)
6 — Band-Aids® or other adhesive bandage strips
Please do not add toothpaste to the Hygiene Kit. Toothpaste which has an extended expiration date will be added to Hygiene Kit shipments just prior to shipment. Seal all items in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure.
Packing and Sending "Gift of the Heart" Kits
- Complete Kits should be packed in boxes with only one type of Kit in each box. However, if you are shipping a small number of different kinds of Kits, they can be combined in one box.
- Clearly mark the outside of the box with the contents.
- Complete the mailing form and place it inside the top of your box before sealing it. This will provide the name and address of your group sending the kits for the CWS receiving site, and it gives information about how to share your story with PDA.
- Secure the boxes with packing tape.
Ship all kits prepaid to one of the following*:
Ferncliff Disaster Assistance Center
1720 Ferncliff Road
Little Rock, AR 72223
(501) 821-3063 or (866) 732-6121
OR
Church World Service
Brethren Service Center Annex
601 Main Street
New Windsor, MD 21776-0188
Please Note: Some groups prefer to take a special offering to support a project. The value for each type of kit is given so you or your group can financially support purchase of kit contents. Checks made out to Presbyterian Church (USA) and marked with “Gift of the Heart – DR000151” can be mailed to:
Presbyterian Church (USA)
PO Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
*Find additional drop-off locations for kits in the northeast states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
