Over the past year or so I have made an effort to collect gently used clothing, sports equipment, small toys, plastic kitchenware, shoes, school supplies, and many other random things. While I get funny looks when I ask people for their dirty sneakers and worn clothes, I assure you it is for a great cause.
A few places- primarily Columbia, Joplin, and Springfield- collect these items for what is called The Container Project. These items are collected and then shipped to Nicaragua where they are dispersed throughout Rainbow Network communities. I've heard the saying that someone else's junk is another's treasure. That saying fits this project perfectly. When someone has no shoes or only one set of clothes, they do not mind if the shirt they are being given is last year's style or if their shoes are slightly discolored. All they see is their new best shirt and the lack of parasites they will be getting from no longer walking barefoot.
This past June I was in Nicaragua when a few families were given clothes. The families that received these clothes were the neediest in the community. The joy and gratitude on their faces resembled how I felt on my favorite Christmas day. This is all from our used giveaways!
This week I had the big task of helping to pack items into a 40' container that is currently on its way to Nicaragua. It is quite a feat to fit each box in just right so as not to waste any space. This container was even more special as it has well over 35,000 children's books- one for each of the 12,000 children in a Rainbow Network community for Christmas and many more to help fill the empty shelves in the rural schools.
As we were packing, I got to climb up the pallets and stuff bags of clothes, walkers, crutches, etc. on the top. I have to admit there were many threats of just packing me in and shipping me down. While that sounds all fine and dandy, I would rather not arrive as jerky!
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