Gift of the Heart Kits

Gift of the Heart kits are an excellent hands-on project for youth groups, Presbyterian Women and others who want a tangible way to be involved. School Kits and Hygiene Kits are often the most in demand.

• Cleanup bucket
• Hygiene kit
• School kit
• Welcome backpack
• Period packs

Packaging and mailing

Visit the CWS website for resources such as shopping lists, reports, stories and more.

A note from Church World Service regarding Baby Kits: Thank you for your support of the CWS Baby Care Kit program. After careful evaluation with CWS program partners and other agencies that had previously received the baby care kits, a decision was made to discontinue the use of baby care kits starting on January 1, 2016. Changes in program directions have helped to guide this change. We are thankful for your years of previous support of these programs. Your work has benefited many families around the world. 

A note regarding processing fees: Shipping of the kits to their final destination is expensive. Costs include renting space on trucks, boats and planes, paying for gas, for the insurance of each shipment and for other delivery fees. We ask that our donors help cover a small amount of this cost. 

To donate your processing fees, please either donate online here or mail a check made payable to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with DR000151 on the memo line and mail to:

Presbyterian Church (USA)
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA  15264-3700

Cleanup Bucket

Photo by Kathy Broyard, PDA NRT

• One five-gallon bucket with resealable lid (If reused, please scrub clean. Do not use a bucket that has held chemicals of any kind. No screw lid. Advertisement on the outside acceptable.)
• One 4-8oz. pump spray air freshener
• Five scouring pads (No stainless steel or pads with soap in them. Remove from packaging.)
• Seven sponges, including one large
• One scrub brush (With or without handle.)
• 18 reusable, lightweight multipurpose dry cleaning towels (No terrycloth, microfiber or paper towels. Remove from packaging.)
• One 32-64oz. or two 25oz. bottle(s) of liquid laundry detergent
• One 16-34oz. bottle of liquid disinfectant dish soap
• One 12-40oz. bottle of liquid concentrate household cleaner that can be mixed with water (No spray bottles.)
• One package of 36-50 clothespins
• One 50-100ft. clothesline (Cotton or plastic line.)
• Five dust masks (N95 particulate respirator dust masks preferred; No surgical masks.)
• Two pairs of heavy-duty, waterproof dishwashing gloves (Latex-free, non-surgical. Durable for multiple-use. Remove from packaging.)
• One pair of work gloves (Cotton with leather palm or all leather.)
• 20-28 heavy duty or contractor type 30-45 gallon trash bags on a roll (Remove from packaging.)
• One 6-9oz. bottle of non-aerosol insect repellent (Pump spay bottles must have protective covers. Packs of 10-20 insect repellent wipes also acceptable.)

VALUE: $75

PROCESSING FEE: $3 per bucket

All cleaning items must be new and all liquid items must be capped and securely tightened. Place all items into the bucket, making sure they are packed securely to avoid damage during shipment. Snap the lid on tight and seal with packing tape. Please do not enclose cash or checks inside of the kits or the boxes.

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Hygiene Kit

Photo by Paul Jeffrey, ACT

• One hand towel measuring approximately 15" x 28" to 16" x 32" (no fingertip, bath, dish towel or micro-fiber)
• One washcloth
• One wide-tooth comb removed from the package
  • Must be sturdy with at least 6 inches of teeth
  • No pocket combs or picks
  • Rattail and combs without handles are acceptable
• One fingernail or toenail clipper removed from the package (either one is acceptable)
• One bath-size bar of soap in the original package
• One toothbrush in the original package
• Ten standard size Band-Aids
• Wide-tooth Comb

All items need to fit inside a one-gallon Ziploc type bag. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal before boxing.

Do NOT add any extra items or toothpaste. A tube of extended expiration date toothpaste will be added to each hygiene kit just prior to its final journey.

Value: $15.00
Processing fee: $2.00 per kit

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School Kit

Photo by CWS

(Value $15, recommended $2 processing fee per kit)

1 — pair of blunt scissors (rounded tip)

3 — 70-count spiral notebooks or tape-bound pads of 8" x 10 1/2" ruled paper or pads with 200-210 sheets of ruled paper. Do not include filler paper.

1 — 30-centimeter ruler (12")

1 — hand-held pencil sharpener

6 — new pencils with erasers

1 — large eraser

1 — box of 24 crayons

1 — cloth bag, 12" x 14" to 14" x 17" finished size cotton cloth bag with cloth handles; pattern available.  (Please, do not use reusable shopping bags or backpacks.)

Pack all items in the cloth bag.  

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Welcome backpacks

When neighbors around the world are forced to leave their homes and begin a new life in various parts of the U.S., they often travel with few material possessions. Welcome Backpacks is how we ensure our newly arriving neighbors have essentials like food, water, blankets, hygiene items and a warm welcome home.

Value $75, $3 per backpack recommended processing fee

Packing and Sending "Gift of the Heart" Kits

• Complete Kits should be packed in boxes with only one type of Kit in each box. However, if you are shipping a small number of different kinds of Kits, they can be combined in one box.
• Clearly mark the outside of the box with the contents.
• Complete the mailing form and place it inside the top of your box before sealing it. This will provide the name and address of your group sending the kits for the CWS receiving site, and it gives information about how to share your story with PDA.
• Secure the boxes with packing tape.

Ship all kits prepaid to:

Ferncliff Disaster Assistance Center
1720 Ferncliff Road
Little Rock, AR 72223
(501) 821-3063 

OR

Find additional drop-off locations for kits.  It is important to call ahead.

Please Note: Some groups prefer to take a special offering to support a project. The value for each type of kit is given so you or your group can financially support purchase of kit contents. Checks made out to Presbyterian Church (USA) and marked with “Gift of the Heart – DR000151” can be mailed to:
Presbyterian Church (USA)
PO Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700

**If you have 36 or more buckets and are looking for transportation options, Ferncliff has a discount with Fed Ex Freight.  You can email Emily (emily@ferncliff.org) to see how your church might get their discount on to your shipment.

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Photos on this page: cleanup buckets by Kathy Broyard; hygiene kit by Paul Jeffrey/ACT; school kits by Church World Service