THANK YOU, NORTHERN VIRGINIA!
NoVa District Cleaning Kits
We continue to update our total as donations come in.
VAUMC Disaster Coordinator, Rev. Bob Pihlchrantz, received a call from UMCOR requesting cleaning buckets. UMCOR Supply Depots are near to disbursing all the stored cleaning kits to areas impacted by the recent hurricanes. In another disaster, UMCOR will lose its ability to respond and share a needed resource with the affected people. In 2017, VAUMC responded to a similar call and collected 4,676 cleaning kits, estimated at $350,700, to respond to this call. The VAUMC AC Kit team proposes to hold another event in November 2022.
The VAUMC goal is to collect 4,677 Cleaning kits by early November. This is one more kit from the previous collection in 2017. This is possible if every church contributed four kits per church or 585 kits per district. DS Sarah Calvert asked that every Northern Virginia District Church create 4 Flood Buckets this fall.
Thank You
The Northern Virginia District wants to extend a HUGE Thank You!!!! to our collection sites as well as our U-Haul drivers. We are very grateful to:
Collection Sites:
- Andrew Chapel
- Buckhall
- Burke
- Calvary
- Floris
- Mt. Olivet
- St. Paul
District U-Haul Truck Drivers
- Larry Thompson
- Chris Thompson
UMCOR Cleaning Kit Assembly Instructions
umcmission.org/umcor-cleaning-kit
(Kit Value: $75 per bucket)
- One five-gallon round bucket with resealable lid (14.35” h x 12.19” w x12.19” d)
- No screw lids
- May be used, but must be free from all residual product
- Advertisements on the outside acceptable
- One 32-64 oz. bottle liquid laundry detergent
- One 16-40 oz. bottle liquid concentrate household cleaner
- No spray cleaners
- One 16-34 oz. bottle dish soap
- One 4-8 oz. pump spray air freshener (liquid, not gel)
- One 6-14 oz. pump spray insect repellent (pack of 10-20 wipes also acceptable)
- Pump spray bottles must have protective covers
- One scrub brush
- With or without handle
- 18 re-useable cleaning wipes
- No terrycloth, microfiber or paper towels
- Remove from packaging
- Five scouring pads
- No stainless-steel pads with soap in them
- 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)
- No surgical masks
- Two pairs kitchen gloves
- Durable for multiple uses
- Remove from packaging
- One pair work gloves
- Cotton with leather palm or all leather
umcmission.org/umcor-cleaning-kit
How Do We Do This?
The how is up to you. Some churches may choose to create a wish list on Amazon or with another retailer and ask congregation members to purchase supplies from that list. Some may ask folks to sign up to bring items from the list via online form/bulletin board/clip boards in worship.
Other churches may choose to ask for donations to cover the cost and then have a small group go purchase the supplies.
Some churches may choose to have a “packing party” where congregation members come together to package the flood buckets after worship or at another time.
However you choose to fulfill DS Sarah Calvert’s call for 4 (or more!) flood buckets, be sure that you factor in the drop-off date of November 1.
Also please be sure to adhere strictly to the list and pack the buckets according to the instructional video. (If not, the supplies won’t actually fit in the buckets!)
We are excited to partner with the other districts in order to meet this urgent need.
Prefer to Donate Money?
We understand that making flood buckets may not be feasible for every congregation. You are welcome to donate money and we will take care of getting it to UMCOR. Each flood bucket costs approximately $75.
To fulfill DS Sarah Calvert’s goal of each NoVA District church providing 4 Cleaning Kits, a donation of $300 is encouraged. You can make that donation online via our secure payment portal HERE or you can send a check made out to “Virginia Conference UMC,” earmarked for “kits (Advance #901440)” to the District Office to the attention of Sarah Allen, District Administrator.
You can also mail checks directly to the VAUMC (Treasurer,
Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 5605, Glen Allen, VA, 23058) if you’d prefer, but please let us know you have done so, in order to count your church among those who have participated! (NoVaAdmin@vaumc.org)
Additional Cost
UMCOR requests that each Cleaning Kit be accompanied by $3 to cover shipping and processing. You can help with that in a number of ways. You can provide a check using the same information noted above OR you can use our payment portal to make that donation electronicly.
Additional Details & Important Notes
- All items must be new with the exception of the bucket and lid which may be recycled but must be clean and free of debris.
- All cleaning agents must be liquid form. No powders are accepted.
- If items have been omitted, label bucket. Please indicate which items are missing.
- Sponges have been removed from the list of supplies due to the challenge of locating the non-cellulose sponges that prevent mildew. Non-cellulose sponges will be added to each bucket upon arrival at the affiliate warehouse.
- Do not include any personal notes, money or additional material in the kits.
- Contents of kits or the containers of kits should not be imprinted with cartoon characters, advertisements, religious, patriotic, military or camouflage symbols.
