Call is out for cleaning, hygiene kits to be delivered to Nebraska district offices

Officially, their name is Cleaning Kit. But in the Great Plains, we call them “flood buckets.”

Those who have received them have considered them a godsend, and if semi truckloads of them in the past few years are any indication, churches and their congregations are dedicated and excited about assembling them.

And this week, with history-making floodwaters hitting up to two-thirds of Nebraska during the past week, they are needed again.
 

• Blue River: 1333 N. 33rd St., Lincoln
• Elkhorn Valley: 406 W. Phillip Ave., Suite 301, Norfolk
• Gateway: 4009 6th Ave., Suite 13, Kearney
• Great West: 2 N. Spruce, Suite F, Ogallala
• Missouri River: 7318 Harrison St., Ralston
• Prairie Rivers: 511 N. Elm St., Suite 2, Grand Island

All of the items fit in a 5-gallon, round bucket with a resealable lid, available at nearly any hardware store.

Here are the contents, prescribed by UMCOR. Do not vary from the list. If an item is missing, please make a note of it on the outside of the bucket:

• One 32-64 oz. bottle liquid laundry detergent
• One 16-40 oz. bottle liquid concentrate household cleaner
• One 16-34 oz. bottle dish soap
• One 4-8 oz. pump spray air freshener (three solid, or three gel fresheners also acceptable)
• One 6-14 oz. pump spray insect repellent (must have protective cover; pack of 10-20 wipes also acceptable)
• One scrub brush
• 18 reusable cleaning wipes (remove from packaging)
• Five scouring pads sponges (no stainless-steel pads with soap; remove from packaging)
• 36-50 clothespins
• One 50-100 ft. clothesline (cotton or plastic line)
• 24 roll of heavy-duty trash bags (33-45-gallon sizes; remove from packaging) 
• Five N95 particulate respirator dust masks (1-3 mm thickness) 
• Two pairs kitchen gloves (remove from packaging)
• One pair work gloves

All of the liquid items should be placed in the bucket first, then the remaining items around them.

The General Board of Global Ministries has prepared a video on assembling the items.
 
Hygiene kits are also needed for the flood victims. Its contents are:

• One hand towel (15 x 25 –17 x 27 inches)
• One washcloth
• One comb
• One toenail or fingernail clipper
• Bath-size soap (3 oz. bar or larger; no Ivory or Jergens)
• One adult toothbrush
• 10 adhesive bandages (¾ by 3 inches)
• One one-gallon size resealable bag

Here is a video with the assembly instructions.
 
We are beginning to hear reports of Christian kindness taking place by our churches and church members:

• The Albion UMC is serving as a temporary Red Cross Center in the aftermath of the flood.
• A former member of Lincoln St. Paul UMC has a son who is a farmer in Salina, Kansas, and has called the church and offered a truckload of hay for any farmer that needed feed for his animals. 

If you know of other acts of assistance going on in Nebraska, please let the communications office, 785-272-9111, or your district office know.
 
Updates from throughout Nebraska:

• The Lincoln Journal Star provides updates from North Bend, Fremont, Sanders County, Offutt Air Force Base and suburban Omaha.
• From the Omaha World-Herald: Vice President Pence visits affected area, promises government relief.
• The Norfolk Daily News says Madison County is trying to get roads passable, but long-term fixes will come later.
• Gov. Pete Ricketts: Nebraska communities are strong.

 
 

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