news article
Upper New York Red Bird Mission Shoebox Campaign seeking drop-off locations
September 24, 2019 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Dave Alexander and the mission team at Endwell United Methodist Church are again coordinating the collection and delivery of shoeboxes for the Red Bird Mission. Red Bird Mission is a poverty-relief organization that serves a remote, impoverished population in Bell, Clay, and Leslie counties in southeastern Kentucky.
The Red Bird Missionary Conference is one of three United Methodist Missionary Conferences in the United States. It is the most comprehensive mission effort of the United Methodist Church, providing outreach and services that minister to the whole person (spiritual, physical, social, and economic).
For several years, the Upper New York Conference has participated in the shoebox mission. Last December, four volunteers drove two 26-foot trucks to the mission in Kentucky, transporting 2,700 shoeboxes, over 60 bedspreads, 110 sheet sets, 300 bags of clothing, and numerous books, school supplies, and cleaning supplies.
There are two different styles of shoe boxes: adult and children. All items should be put in clear plastic shoebox sized storage containers with lids. Please do not wrap the boxes.
Items needed for the adult shoe boxes (please mark for a man or woman) include a comb/brush, shampoo, hand lotion, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, Chapstick, full-size bar of bath soap, washcloth, disposable razors, shaving cream, nail care supplies, mittens, scarf, hat, socks, and work gloves.
Items for the children's shoe boxes (please mark for a boy or girl) include two or three small toys, two or three school items, bar soap, children's toothbrush, children's toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, washcloth, comb/brush, Chapstick, mittens, hat, socks, and small flashlight.
A suggested donation of $1 is requested per shoebox to help with shipping costs. This monetary donation should not be placed inside the box, rather it should be placed in an envelope and taped to the box.
Red Bird is also in need of brand-new pillows, blankets, and sheet sets for twin and full-size beds.
Additionally, Red Bird Mission will accept gently-used clothing.
Currently, the Endwell UMC Mission Team is looking for drop-off locations for the shoeboxes. As of now, Endwell UMC, and the UNY Mission Central HUB in Liverpool are the two drop-off locations. Please consider being a drop-off center. Items can be dropped off between Nov. 1-Nov. 22.
If your church would like to be a drop-off location, please email Dave Alexander at Dalexander4@stny.rr.com by October 4 and a list of the drop-off locations will be distributed to the Conference via the Weekly Digest the following week and will also be published on the Conference website (www.unyumc.org).