Local churches can participate in the mission of the Haiti Partnership by assembling school bags for the teams to deliver to the children of Haiti.
Below are the directions for making and assembling the bags.
A school bag information sheet that can be handed out to church members and friends is available in two formats. Click on the links below to download:
SCHOOL BAGS
SCHOOL BAGS FOR HAITI
Constructing a 12” by 15” School bag:
Use a sturdy material such as denim or canvas, water resistant if possible.
- Cut 1 piece 13” by 32” rectangle and 2 pieces 4” by 18” long.
- Fold the large piece in half, right sides together, and sew the side seams.
- Sew a 1” hem around the top. Fold is on the bottom.
- Fold the 4” strips into itself, 1”on each side, and then fold in half again to make 1” wide strips.
- Sew the seam on the strips.
- Sew the strips to the hem of the bag, one strip on each side to make handles.
Filling the School bag:
Each bag should contain the following items (*No Substitutions Please). Please remove all items from packaging.
- 2 pads of lined yellow or white 81/2”x11” paper
- 12 sheets of colored construction paper placed between the 2 pads of paper (please use a variety of colors)
- 1 pair blunt children’s scissors
- 1 - 12” ruler
- 1 pencil sharpener
- 6 unsharpened pencils with erasers
- 1 - 2” eraser
- 1 pack of colored pencils (10-12/pack, can remain in box)
(No crayons please, they melt in the extreme temperatures of Haiti.)
We have established collection sites within each District. Groups or individuals may drop off FINISHED and FILLED bags at any of the following locations.
Honesdale UMC
Hemlock Grove UMC
Moscow UMC
Chinchilla UMC
Central UMC, Wilkes-Barre
Tunkhannock UMC
Dorranceton UMC, Kingston
Vestal UMC
Endwell UMC
Conference Office
Sherburne UMC
Sidney UMC
New Milford UMC
607-785-3367
607-754-5735
607-757-0608
607-674-4119
607-563-1921
570-879-4506
570-253-3291
570-676-3226
570-842-7251
570-587-2578
570-822-7246
570-836-1229
570-288-1477
Completed bags can be delivered to the Conference Center or you can contact any of the following Haiti Partnership Members for drop off locations
We began the school bag project in 1997 and miraculously received almost 900 school bags in less than two months! In the last nine years we have taken an estimated 6,000 school bags to Methodist school children in Haiti. We would like to continue our efforts of supplying the children in Haiti with schoolbags, to help support them with their studies.
570-836-3884
607-785-3367
607-722-5047
Scranton
Binghatmon
Oneonta
WIlkes-Barre
*Children are children no matter where they live. They will compare contents of schoolbags and be disappointed if their supplies are different than that of another child’s.
School Bag Information
Contact information:
Haiti Partnership Chair: Roger Richards (607) 754-5735
Vice-chair: Barb Gay (570) 836-3884
Secretary: Lana Roske (607) 785-3367
Liaison to Methodist Church of Haiti: Mike Willis (607) 785-3367
Webmaster: Nancy Hale
