Clean-up Buckets were blessed in the Wellington Presbyterian Church sanctuary. (Photo by Brenda Wallace).

by Rev. Deb. Schmidt, First Presbyterian Church — Whenever a disaster strikes, we wonder, “How can we help?”

Recently, the congregation of First Presbyterian Church, Wellington, joined the Presbytery of Southern Kansas in a project to purchase cleaning supplies and assemble Clean-Up Buckets to be forwarded to Church World Service for distribution whenever and wherever needed.  This project originally came on the heels of the devastation to the East coast caused by Hurricane Sandy this past year, and the need for Clean-Up Buckets has increased due to tornados like the one at Moore, OK this week.

In November, Mary Ellen Garver, a member of the Wellington church and the Moderator of the Presbytery, challenged her congregation to set a goal of assembling ten Clean-Up Buckets.  Members rose to the challenge, and by February, they had put together 23 buckets. 

These were added to others assembled by churches in the Presbytery, for a total of 238 buckets and donations of over $1,100 delivered to a Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Center (PDA).  The buckets were distributed by Church World Service to assist individuals and families in their clean-up efforts.

Each 5 gallon bucket was filled with 58 specific items: soap and detergent, brushes, sponges and other items to help clean homes that have been damaged by storm waters.  During a Sunday worship service, the congregation, led by Pastor Deb Schmidt, prayed for those who would receive the buckets.   A copy of the prayer and other words of support and encouragement were included in each bucket.

Because of financial contributions and donations of material resources like the Clean-Up Buckets, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has been able to respond immediately whenever a disaster strikes.  Recently, PDA responded to a tornado in Texas; the explosion in West, Texas; and the Boston Marathon tragedy.  In 2012, PDA responded to disasters in 34 states, including those from storms and tornados in the South and Southeast, wildfires throughout much of the West and Southwest, and Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast.  In prior years, PDA responded to tornados that struck Joplin, Missouri and Alabama; flooding in North Dakota, and wildfires in Texas.

Unfortunately, the needs are greater than the supply.  Church World Service (CWS) has recently appealed for additional Clean-Up Buckets.  Individuals and organizations wishing to help will find fliers listing bucket contents and instructions for filling and donating buckets, or making a financial donation, at: http://www.pcusa.org/resource/clean-buckets-pda/ or http://www.cwsglobal.org/get-involved/kits/emergency-clean-up-buckets.html