Local church filling buckets to help with disasters
St. Paul United Church of Christ in Wapakoneta is seeking to fill five gallon buckets with everything someone might need if they’ve had disaster strike.
“The five gallon buckets contain a large variety of cleaning, and sanitizing supplies to be used for emergency cleanup after a fire, flood, or natural disaster,” explained Reverend Mark Bishop, the Interim Pastor for St. Paul.
The church is currently collecting monetary donations in order to fill the buckets.
“Part of why we’re asking for money, is that it all needs to fit into the five gallon bucket, and there are exact specifications of what we’ve learned can be used effectively by people in a situation like this,” said Reverend
Bishop. The buckets once completed will be distributed through the Emergency Response Team that is part of the United Church of Christ nationally. “These buckets need to be able to seal so that we can put them in shipping containers or trailers. They store well and can be deployed without falling out.”
The emergency response team organizes for disasters that may occur and offer the buckets, along with hygiene kits.
“If you’ve lost everything in a fire, you need to be able to wash your face, and brush your teeth, and have bandaids,” said Reverend Bishop. He noted that the kinds of items they provide, are things that people take for granted until they need them. “We work as a partner with the Church World Service Organization. This is a national effort to respond to every kind of natural disaster, or emergency, that might be there.”
The five gallon buckets will be assembled and then sent to their office in Tiffin, Ohio. From there, they work with the Church World Service to deploy the buckets where they’re needed, which is part of what the Disaster Response Team Does.
“We’ve been doing this for about 20 years,” said Reverend Bishop. The buckets don’t always end up in far flung places either. “They end up in Ohio and neighboring states as well.”
“We want to help and to be good neighbors, and to have people recognize they’re loved and valued by god,” explained Reverend Bishop. He said that St. Paul doesn’t brand their buckets, but that they do put their logo on the trailer that delivered the bucket, which is in step with the Church World Service. “It’s so that they know its church people, who are trying to live out that mandate to take care of our brothers and sisters, and to be neighborly with everyone.”
Helping people realize that whatever their disaster is, that they can get back to normal, is what Reverend Bishop hopes to help with.
“We’re trying to make folks feel like someone cares, because they’ve just lost everything that they counted on to help them feel normal,” said Reverend Bishop. He said that until something like this happens to you, its hard to imagine how hard that is.
“Its a very upsetting and disorienting time for folks, and we want them to know they’re loved,” said Reverend Bishop. As for the future, they have plans as well.
“We’re working very much to address the issue of violent changes in our weather that is caused by global warming,” said Reverend Bishop before continuing. “Regardless of whether or not you think we caused it, it is happening and it requires our response.”
He said that since they’ve found a way to feed people even after a population explosion, that success here is also possible.
“We may have success in helping our climate to slow down a bit, and be more gentle,” said Reverend Bishop.
If you would like more information about the Disaster Buckets, or how to donate, you can call St. Paul United Church of Christ at 419-7382215. To donate online you can visit StPaulUCC.com.