November 23, 2005
By Betty Backstrom

BATON ROUGE, La. – Children around the country have an opportunity to help rebuild Sunday school classrooms destroyed by Hurricane Katrina using construction paper, glue and some unbroken crayons.

"Kids Helping Kids-Sharing God's Love," a new ministry started by the Christian education office of the Louisiana Annual Conference, is a way for children to get involved in the recovery efforts.

Construction paper, glue, notebook paper, markers, crayons, stickers, and all the typical supplies needed to operate a children's Sunday school class are now being collected by the Louisiana conference.

"These supplies will be broken into start-up kits and distributed to churches as they begin offering Sunday school programs again," said the Rev. John Edd Harper, director of Christian Education for the conference.

The "Kids Helping Kids" outreach also includes the donation and receipt of church nursery supplies. "We'll accept anything from cribs and mattresses to disposable diapers and nursery toys," he added.

Harper got the idea for the outreach initiative after receiving numerous calls from churches and individuals throughout the connection looking for significant ways for children to become involved in the response efforts.

"The silver lining behind the cloud of loss and sadness is the strong desire among United Methodists to help each other," he said. "It is especially heartwarming to see this stirring in the hearts of our young people."

Harper's hope is that this ministry will expand into serving residents of the FEMA trailer communities, which are providing temporary housing to displaced persons from both storms. "We hope ultimately to be allowed into these sites to distribute new clothes, shoes, school supplies and toys for children," said Harper.

Even in the churches that were not completely flooded, there are still many needs. "Many Christian educators in local churches have said that their budgets have been cut to bare bones, which makes the purchase of new and additional Sunday school supplies very difficult. Those churches have needs right now," he added.

A total of six storm relief stations are being set up in affected areas with the help of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Donated supplies will be shipped directly to the station where items will be unpacked, sorted, repacked and delivered to churches in need. Some supplies will be stored until more severely damaged churches are reopened.

"We plan to invite area children to play a role in this distribution process," Harper said. "Hands-on participation in packing and delivering these donated supplies will help the children of Louisiana recognize that their brothers and sisters in Christ truly love and care about them."

Anyone interested in participating in "Kids Helping Kids" can contact the individual centers listed on the conference Web site at http://www.la-umc.org/ to obtain information on where to send supplies. A list of suggested supplies is also available. Questions should be directed to Harper at (225) 346-1646.

United Methodist News Service
Betty Backstrom is editor of Louisiana Now!, the newspaper of the United Methodist Church's Louisiana Annual Conference.