40-Days of Giving – UMCOR Cleaning Buckets

            During Lent, First United Methodist Church-Gilford members are collecting materials to assemble cleaning buckets.  Items (below) comprise the completed cleaning buckets help those affected by floods, hurricanes and other catastrophes to begin the overwhelming job of clean-up.  United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) distributes the buckets and the need is particularly great after recent hurricanes. Anyone in the community may collect materials or make a onetime donation.

            The cleaning buckets are five-gallon round buckets with a lid that contain 16 specific items (see list below).  Lakes Region residents can help by purchasing any or all of the specific items to complete a bucket or by providing monetary donations. 

            Material donations can be left on the bench inside the church back door to the office, between now and April 8, from 8:30 am – 12 Noon, Monday through Friday.  If you would like to donate money, for instance a $1 per day through Lent, please put in envelope marked “Lenten Giving for UMCOR Kits” and mail to the church at PO Box 7408, Gilford, NH 03247.

            At the end of April, volunteers at the church will pack the buckets with the donated items and deliver the completed buckets to UMCOR. 

            For further information about donating or volunteering, call the church at 603-524-3289. 

            Items to complete a cleaning bucket are below.

 When complete, do not secure the lid.

One five-gallon round bucket with lid (14.35” h x 12.19” w x 12.19” d)

No screw lids

May have been used, but must be free from all residual product

One 32–64 oz. bottle liquid laundry detergent

One 16–40 oz. bottle liquid concentrate household cleaner - no spray cleaners

One 16–34 oz. bottle liquid dish soap

One 4–8 oz. pump spray air freshener

One 6–14 oz. pump spray insect repellant (pack of 10–20 wipes also acceptable) - pump spray bottles must have protective covers

One scrub brush - with or without handle

18 re-usable cleaning wipes - no terrycloth, microfiber or paper towels

Five scouring pads - no stainless steel or pads with soap in them 

36–50 clothespins

One 50–100 ft. clothesline (cotton or plastic line)

One roll of 24 heavy-duty trash bags (33-to-45-gallon sizes) - remove from packaging

Five N95 or KN95 particulate respirator dust masks (1–3 mm thickness) 

No surgical masks

Two pair of kitchen gloves - durable for multiple uses and remove from packaging

One pair of work gloves - cotton with leather palm or all leather