Carrying out service projects is part of the learning process confirmation students at Rejoice Lutheran Church go through. After hearing about the Europe and Syrian refugee and migrant crisis, the seventh grade confirmation students decided they wanted to help by creating personal care and layette kits to send there.

 

Jan. 24, the students held a bake sale at Rejoice, had a “noisy offering” during services, and shared a ministry moment with the congregation by explaining their service project and what they needed to accomplish it. They raised $452, enough to purchase items for 40 personal care kits and five layette kits.

 

The students, who had never shopped for necessities before, did the shopping themselves and were amazed how much things cost, especially the items for the layette kits. 

 

Each personal care kit contains a bath towel, two bars of soap, one toothbrush, one comb, and one metal nail clipper. Each layette kit contains two cotton t-shirts, two gowns or sleepers, one jacket, two pairs of socks, two receiving blankets, four cloth diapers, one hand towel, two bars of soap, and two diaper pins.

 

During confirmation classes on Feb. 3 the group, along with the help of the sixth and eighth grade students and a few high school students, assembled the personal care kits.

 

Afterwards the seventh graders put together the more elaborate layette kits.

Janet Peterson, one of the seventh grade small group confirmation leaders, said the students would be helping out at the Clearwater Food Shelf in the near future and had more plans for spring. 

 

“We have a very service minded group,” she said.

 

The seventh grade small group confirmation leaders also working with the students include Tracy Peterson, Matt Staehling and Jennifer Jacobson.

 

The students were excited about the service project, saying it was ‘cool that we got to raise money and help others,’ and how much fun they had doing it. 

 

The completed kits will be brought to St. Paul where Lutheran World Relief will distribute them. For more information on personal care kits and how you can help visit lwr.org/personalcarekits.