Material Assistance Program
The main goal of the program remains making way for people to survive a crisis be it from war, natural disasters, displacement or long-term struggles for peace and justice or from deep poverty. When the program began, millions of children in Germany were starving as a result of the effects of war, economic crisis and a blockade. Feeding more than one million children a day, a handful of American Friends Service Committee volunteers mounted the largest effort ever carried out in that country.
Hundreds of volunteers from
throughout the nine states
region provide lovely hand knitted or
crocheted sweaters, afghans,
caps, scarves and thousands of dresses, baby
sacques and gowns,
blankets, quilts, shorts and shirts.
These arrive at the Center
daily. Thousands of postage stamps,
which are sorted and marketed by a
Quaker Meeting outside the Southeastern
Region, help to provide income
for the program, and product labels and box
tops for Education provide
equipment for a Native American school in the
region.
In
keeping with today’s changing world, EMAP is
increasingly using
emergency or relief kits. The kits are sealed
in plastic bags, and
contain hygiene items or school supplies or
sewing items. They are
collected on an ongoing basis to be ready for
shipment immediately to
any disaster-stricken area. This has proven to
be a way to involve
youth and children in a continuing manner, as
they collect and pack
kits throughout the year.
The need for another kit has been realized. Farm workers, most of whom are migrant workers, have organized and meet monthly at various locations in North Carolina. As they meet and talk, it is clear that they can use articles which EMAP volunteers can provide. Therefore, we are now asking for an expanded hygiene kit that can be distributed to workers. It will include the usual hygiene items such as toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, wide tooth comb, washcloth and hand towel, but will also require one or two disposable razors, shaving cream, deodorant, a bottle of commonly used pain killer, foot fungus powder or cream, a pair of work gloves and a bandana or sweat band.
The program director and members of the EMAP volunteer program committee make presentations to groups of many faiths and ages, interpreting the work and mission of EMAP, and offering ways persons can become involved in recycling the community’s material resources. EMAP provides yarn for knitting, pre-cut items for sewing and instructions for filling and shipping kits. The impact of EMAP is felt throughout the Southeast Region and beyond. By maintaining contact with other agencies that assist those in crisis or need, agencies that are distributing materials based on the requests received from communities, EMAP’s influence is felt far and wide. An important goal of EMAP is to strengthen these contacts so that help is readily available and promptly provided when the needs are made known.