Share Kits for Afghan Refugees Arriving by the Barrels

World Concern
Tuesday, 23 October 2001

Seattle, WA – This week, emergency Share Kits for Afghan refugees are arriving at international relief agency World Concern's warehouse in Lynnwood from all over the northwest. Approximately 3,000 kits have been collected so far and thousands more are expected to arrive this week.

Volunteers are sorting through the kits and packing them with care to be shipped next month to Tajikistan for Afghan refugees along the border. "We have about 850 processed so far and barrels are stacked everywhere," stated World Concern Receptionist Kristie Carpenter. "We are getting at least a couple of drop offs per hour ranging from a few kits to a van full."

The entire list of collection points is located at www.worldconcern.org. Many other locations on the list have collected barrels full and are ready for trucks to arrive later this week. University Presbyterian Church has already called for two pick-ups and is ready for a third, and many in their congregation have donated money for food as well.

At Island School on Bainbridge Island, the third grade class made a math project with the kits. One girl in the school who had been saving pennies for three years donated her $150 to help families in Afghanistan.

Kits are arriving from as far away as Lynden to the north, Portland to the south, the Tri Cities to the east and Bremerton to the west. The initial deadline of October 21 has been extended through the end of the month. World Concern will ship any kits that come in after October 31, but the greatest need then will be cash donations for food.

For more information, or to contact World Concern, see their website at: www.worldconcern.org