Sometimes, when you lose everything, the simplest things mean the most.
A clean towel. A toothbrush. A bar of soap. The chance to wash your face and feel, for one small moment, like yourself again.
After flooding swept through central Texas last summer, Juliet Weldin lost her home, her two dogs and the sense of stability she once knew. Asking for help did not come easily. She was used to being the one who helped others in a crisis. But after friends urged her to visit a Lutheran World Relief-supported distribution site, she went.
What she found was more than relief supplies.
“They make you feel like you’re not alone in this and that I belong here,” Juliet said. “There is peace and calmness. You can feel the love.”
That is the impact of a Personal Care Kit.
Your love surrounded Juliet Weldin in her darkest times.
When disaster strikes, LWR Personal Care Kits are one of the first requests. In those first difficult days, basic hygiene items offer more than convenience. They help restore dignity, provide comfort and remind our neighbors that they have not been forgotten.
Our neighbors in crisis need your love — and your Personal Care Kits — urgently.
Following the Texas floods, LWR quilts and kits reached impacted families within 12 hours. At a longer-term distribution center, Personal Care Kits quickly became one of the most requested items. In fact, once LWR’s kits had all been distributed, our local partner began creating additional kits from other donated supplies to help meet the continued need.
Personal Care Kits are in great demand ... and our supply is low!
That need is growing. Disasters are becoming more intense, and with hurricane season upon us, more families may soon face the same hardship, uncertainty and loss that Juliet experienced. Lutheran World Relief is preparing now, before disaster strikes, so that your love can be ready to reach neighbors when they need it most.
Whether you make one Personal Care Kit on your own or organize a larger effort with your congregation, school or community group, every kit matters. Each one offers immediate relief. Each one shares compassion. Each one is a tangible reminder that someone cares.
As Ingathering season approaches, this is a meaningful time to act. Gather supplies, invite others to join you and use the resources below to get started making Personal Care Kits for neighbors facing disaster.
Then just drop off your finished kits at your nearest Ingathering location. Use our INGATHERING MAP to find the one closest to you!
Resources for getting started
Share your love through a Personal Care Kit.
What you’ll need:
- One light-weight bath-size towel
- Two bath-size bars of soap
- One adult-size toothbrush in original packaging
- One sturdy comb, remove packaging
- One metal nail clippers, remove packaging
- Wrap all the items in the towel and tie securely with ribbons or yarn
Thank you for your steadfast and faithful service. You are the hands and feet of Christ for our neighbors in need.
Want to make sure your kits get there? Here’s how you can help right now:
- The Quilt & Kit Shipping Fund is an excellent way to support the journey of Personal Care Kits and get your congregations involved. It costs $4 to transport, process, store and ship each quilt and kit. Go to lwr.org/shippingfund.
- When disaster strikes, our neighbors need our love — immediately. Consider becoming a Faithful Neighbor! The sustaining love of Faithful Neighbors, our monthly donors, allows us to respond quicker in times of immediate crisis. But it also allows us to stay longer, helping neighbors build back stronger and more resilient to future crises.