Hurricane Helene Relief

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Pack Hygiene Kits on Oct. 20th!

Sunday, October 20th, from 8:00 to 12:30 on the Fellowship Hall Porch.

Bags, supplies, and instructions will be available. Come before church or after; help put together a hygiene kit! One load of cleanup buckets and hygiene kits was shipped out last week, and we have plenty of supplies to fill another load. But we need some help to get the kits ready.

We need a few more supplies to complete the cleanup buckets, so if your group would like to fill them next week, contact Pastor Bart or Caroline Feller to schedule an opportunity to fill the cleanup buckets.

How to Help Those Impacted By Hurricane Helene:

All the mission partners listed below are set up to take electronic donations. This way, we bypass mailing checks and have the recipient try to get to the bank to deposit and withdraw. We know people within the organizations listed and understand what they provide to their community. Once we get through this first phase of support, the next step will be to ask for supplies and volunteers for work teams to go to specific areas (once search and rescue operations end and travel to the affected area becomes possible). 

MPPC’s Local and International Ministry teams will send our emergency response funds at our disposal to the mission partners listed below. We also ask that you support the agency you feel connected to or wish to support. We will continue to look for ways to help communities in need. If you would like to be on a list for a possible work team trip (most likely into upstate SC or Western North Carolina) please send an email to Rev. Bart Edwards at bedwards@mppc.net. 

Most importantly, we need to lift up these communities and the helpers rushing in at this very moment in prayer. 

Mission Partners:

Water Mission – watermission.org
(Charleston-based non-profit providing clean and safe drinking water)

Montreat Conference Center – montreat.org
(Assembly Inn at Montreat is serving as a distribution center for the needs of the community) 

Black Mountain Presbyterian Church – bmpcnc.org
(BMPC serves as a food kitchen in the heart of Black Mountain. They are serving 3-400 a day currently. Donations received will go towards continuing meal service and assistance to the community)  

Bounty and Soul in Black Mountain, NC – bountyandsoul.org
(Bounty and Soul is working with BMPC to provide food assistance in the broader area.) 

Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church Tampa, FL – palmaceia.org
(PCPC is Pastor Nicole’s previous church- PCPC has opened a Hurricane Relief Disaster Fund for those in the PCPC community affected by the hurricane by serving meals and giving assistance). You can make a gift online by designating a gift “Hurricane.”)

PDA (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance) – keep reading below!

Here are Ways We Can Help PDA:

Now is the time for our Charleston Atlantic Presbytery to respond to the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) will be deploying teams to Western North Carolina, Western Georgia, and right here in our state to both Trinity and Foothills Presbyteries.  They will need our support.

  • Give directly to PDA helping with Hurricane Helene relief:  https://pda.pcusa.org/situation/hurricane-helene allows you to give online or checks can be made payable to the Presbyterian Church (USA) with DR000169 in the memo and mail to:
    Presbyterian Church (USA)
    PO Box 643700
    Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
  • Cleanup Buckets and Hygiene Kits are needed! For a tangible way to help, those areas affected will need supplies. Resources are funneling into the impacted areas, but we want to make sure what we are sending can be put to immediate use. The information below will help MPPC assemble much-needed Cleanup Buckets and Hygiene Kits. These items will be sent directly to areas in SC, NC and GA impacted by Helene.
  • Be on the lookout for more information about PDA volunteers needed.  Members of our CAP can join a team that will go to these areas to begin assisting. PDA is very careful not to put undue stress in hurting places or use resources that are needed for effected people. They will get more word on organizing teams and how they can help in the coming days.
  • Prayer!  Our best response is prayer. Pray that through the response of the faith community, survivors and those offering assistance will be reminded of the hope that is found in Christ.

Cleanup Buckets & Hygiene Kits

You can help in three ways:

  1. Complete a clean-up bucket or hygiene kit yourself or as a family. Once completed, bring to MPPC drop off in the front entry of the Fellowship Hall.
  2. If you cannot complete a whole kit, purchase items on the kit list, and we can assemble them with other donations and purchases the church makes with donated funds. Bring what you can to the Fellowship Hall for drop-off. 
  3. Donate to Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church; we will purchase items to complete the kits. If you write a check, put in the memo PDA hurricane relief, or you can go to onrealm.org/mppc/give/bucketskits.

The cost to make the buckets and kit are listed but please give what you can. 

Cleanup Bucket

All cleaning items must be new and all liquid items must be capped and securely tightened. Place all items into the bucket, making sure they are packed securely to avoid damage during shipment. Snap the lid on tight and seal with packing tape. Please do not enclose cash or checks inside of the kits or the boxes.

  • One five-gallon bucket with resealable lid (If reused, please scrub clean. Do not use a bucket that has held chemicals of any kind. No screw lid. Advertisement on the outside acceptable.)
  • One 4-8oz. pump spray air freshener
  • Five scouring pads (No stainless steel or pads with soap in them. Remove from packaging.)
  • Seven sponges, including one large
  • One scrub brush (With or without handle.)
  • 18 reusable, lightweight multipurpose dry cleaning towels (No terrycloth, microfiber or paper towels. Remove from packaging.)
  • One 32-64oz. or two 25oz. bottle(s) of liquid laundry detergent
  • One 16-34oz. bottle of liquid disinfectant dish soap
  • One 12-40oz. bottle of liquid concentrate household cleaner that can be mixed with water (No spray bottles.)
  • One package of 36-50 clothespins
  • One 50-100ft. clothesline (Cotton or plastic line.)
  • Five dust masks (N95 particulate respirator dust masks preferred; No surgical masks.)
  • Two pairs of heavy-duty, waterproof dishwashing gloves (Latex-free, non-surgical. Durable for multiple-use. Remove from packaging.)
  • One pair of work gloves (Cotton with leather palm or all leather.)
  • 20-28 heavy duty or contractor type 30-45 gallon trash bags on a roll (Remove from packaging.)
  • One 6-9oz. bottle of non-aerosol insect repellent (Pump spay bottles must have protective covers. Packs of 10-20 insect repellent wipes also acceptable.)

VALUE: $75.00

Hygiene Kit

All items need to fit inside a one-gallon Ziploc type bag. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal before boxing.

Do NOT add any extra items or toothpaste. A tube of extended expiration date toothpaste will be added to each hygiene kit just prior to its final journey.

  • One hand towel measuring approximately 15″ x 28″ to 16″ x 32″ (no fingertip, bath, dish towel or micro-fiber)
  • One washcloth
  • One wide-tooth comb removed from the package
      • Must be sturdy with at least 6 inches of teeth
      • No pocket combs or picks
      • Rattail and combs without handles are acceptable
  • One fingernail or toenail clipper removed from the package (either one is acceptable)
  • One bath-size bar of soap in the original package
  • One toothbrush in the original package
  • Ten standard size Band-Aids

VALUE: $25.00

For more information about these collections or PDA response please visit the PDA website:  https://pda.pcusa.org or contact the MPPC church office.