Lowell church, Southlake Y kick in for Haiti

LOWELL | It's 2,000 jars of peanut butter and counting as the Lowell Church of Christ, a designated collection point for Lifeline Christian Ministries' Haitian effort, continues to collect medical supplies, food, linens and shoes for those suffering in Haiti.

Collections will be accepted until April 14.

"We're not doing our Ecuador trip this year. We're trying to take a team down to Haiti in the fall," said John Harris, associate minister. "As time passes, people have a tendency to forget and move on. That's not true for the people in the streets of Haiti."

Harris is currently heading up the church's role as the designated collection site for Lifeline of Westerville, Ohio, which has active ministries in education, housing, sustenance, religion and health care in Haiti.

Collections have been accepted since Feb. 1 at the Lowell church at 299 Burr St. and a drop-off point at the Southlake YMCA in Crown Point. Harris said he has been gratified to find so many medical supplies and over- the-counter medicines donated, especially at the YMCA drop.

"The blessing is that it seems there are a lot of people there dropping off the meds we need. In some cases, whole cases of triple antibiotics and other items," he said. "We want to thank the community of Lowell."

The three Tri-Creek elementary schools collected jars of peanut butter for the effort, he said. Last week, a 10-year old boy brought in $12 he'd earned and other children brought in new shoes they bought with their money, he said.

"One of the cool things is I get e-mail updates from some of the actual workers in the orphanages in Haiti. All of their (Lifeline's) containers have made it into port and to the people," Harris said.

No clothing will be accepted. Items may be dropped off from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the church and during regular hours at the YMCA. Those items accepted for donation are: peanut butter, canned meats, dry baby cereal and powdered baby formula, new twin bedding, new children's shoes, new towels, dressings, gauze surgical supplies, surgical gloves, tape, suture materials, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, antacids, Tums, cough medications and vitamins.