Faith members and friends participated in the ELCA Day of Service in a variety of ways.
For the past few months many people donated items for Lutheran World Relief's Personal Care Kits (bath towel, soap, nail clippers, toothbrush, comb). On Sunday, September 10th Day of Service, people gathered around tables and assembled the kits, which will be sent where they are needed most.
Cleanliness may not actually be next to godliness, but it certainly helps a person feel more human. When families find their homes destroyed, or must flee for their safety, soap and a towel rarely make the cut for what they can carry. Arriving in a refugee camp or other place of safety, they are scared, vulnerable and dirty from the travel. The simple items included in a Personal Care Kit provide much-needed self care, critical germ fighting supplies and the chance for our neighbors in need to regain dignity amidst fear and uncertainty.
Other people participated with First Serve in the Cultural Immersion, Market Tour. They gathered at People's Park in Akron and walked to a nearby Nepali market, to tour food and clothing areas, then they returned to the park to sample cuisine and hear personal stories from new Americans about their journey from their home country to the USA.