Fresno Pacific University students worked with the West Coast Office of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) to create school kits for children in Afghanistan. About 22 students packed 440 kits.
Brian Davis, campus pastor, coordinated the project. Participants gathered at the MCC West Coast Office, 1010 G St., Reedley, CA, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday, September 18. Items were packed in double drawstring cloth bags provided by MCC, and bags were placed in large crates/gallon containers for shipment. The goal was to send out four crates in about three weeks. “There are some delays given the political climate, but once the items are shipped they are stored and kept with an MCC partner until they can be delivered safely,” said Taylor Starks, FPU assistant director of spiritual formation, who worked on logistics.
Each kit contained:
- four spiral or perforated-page notebooks
- eight new, unsharpened pencils
- one ruler
- 12 colored pencils
- one large eraser
- two new black or blue ballpoint pens
- one small metal pencil sharpener
Mennonite Central Committee is a Christian international relief organization operated by several Mennonite and related denominations, including the Mennonite Brethren Church with which FPU is affiliated.