On Friday, March 20th, the Irvington Presbyterian Church will host their annual Multi-Generational Dinner. Starting at 6PM and open to all, the dinner is a prelude to the main event, the creation of charity hygiene kits.
Each year, the church puts together kits which are then sent to the Church World Service, a multi-denominational international organization that works all over the globe providing aid to those in need.
This year, like last year, the Irvington Presbyterian Church is asking volunteers for help in assembling the kits. The contents of each hygiene kit include: 1 hand towel, 1 wash cloth, 1 wide-tooth comb, 1 nail clipper, 1 bath-size bar of soap, 1 toothbrush in its original packaging, and 6 Band-Aids. These kits will eventually be shipped around the world to victims of natural disasters, violence, and extreme poverty.
Families are encouraged to bring their children to the child-friendly dinner as well as the kit assembly portion of the evening, as kids as young as five or six can easily help out in assembling the kits. In fact, part of the purpose of the dinner is for parents to share the spirit of charity with their children. Says church member Nancy McKenzie, “It gives [the children] a sense of helping somebody else and they can physically see that they are doing something for somebody else.”
Last year’s event created over 50 kits, and organizers hope to make even more this year. They ask that volunteers try to bring in supplies ahead of time, but are happy to welcome people who just show up for the dinner with supplies in tow. Anyone interested should call Nancy McKenzie at 914-693-5186 or Marianne Oley in the church office at 914-591-8124.
