Four Arthur area families – Sheila and Jeff Bauman, Nicole, Dannika and Jake, Mary Jo and Bruce Richardson, Madison and Bryan, Paula and Stew Smith, Grace, Bella and Victoria and John and Jeanette Knox– have decided they need to do something for the people of Haiti after last month’s devastating tornado. And, they are challenging the Arthur community to come together and help.
The four families, working with the Mennonite Central Committee in a program called “Hygiene for Haiti”, are collecting relief items to be sent to Haiti. Items will be accepted until February 15, at which time they will be delivered to the Elmira outlet to be shipped at the end of the month.
“We heard about this on the radio, checked out the facts and felt this might be a great community type event,” Sheila Bauman told the Enterprise News. “They are saying that although monetary donations are so appreciated and have been overflowing, there is also a great feeling of love when people receive a gift of something they can call their own after losing so much. It is felt as a true gift of love.”
“Hygiene for Haiti” is looking for items ranging from bars of soap and plastic bottles of shampoo to toothpaste and toothbrushes to bath towels and adhesive bandages.  The Mennonite Central Committee will pack the items into kits and the kits then be put into clean five-gallon pails “so that they too can be used for water when the family gets their kit,” Sheila said. “We don’t expect people to donate an entire kit, but even on item for a kit would be appreciated.”
The Mennonite Central Committee is also asking for donations of heavy comforters and flat sheets.
More information about all the items being collected can be found at http://mcc.org/kits. People are also welcome to contact the four Arthur families collecting the items and the items can be left at their homes.
The Bauman family can be reached at 519-848-2302, the Knox family at
848-6858, the Richardson family at 519-848-2105 and the Smith family, who lives in the Alma area, at 519-638-2926.