Hill Co. helping with Haiti relief

JOHNSON CITY, Texas (KXAN) - More than 20 volunteers from local churches, civic groups and businesses gathered at First United Methodist Church in Johnson City to help with Haiti relief Monday morning.

Men and women helped put together more than 200 personal health kits to send to earthquake survivors.

"It's just unbelievable that we can, in this day and time, help people that are (that far) away," said Vanessa Luce, a volunteer.

"The volunteers, they're Christ's hands reaching out to people who can't help themselves," said George Barnette, the church's disaster coordinator, who organized the relief effort.  "In this church, these volunteers, whether they're from this church, another church, or no church, are performing acts of God."

Barnette said he worked for FEMA and the Red Cross doing disaster relief in the past and that it took him mere seconds from when he heard about the quake to take action.

"About 15 seconds (is all the time it took). When this kind of thing happens, it's like ringing the bell for the old firehorse. The first thing that comes to mind is how are we going to play a role in this?" Barnette recalled.

Barnette believed creating and packing hundreds of personal health kits for those left devastated by the disaster was the answer.

Volunteers stuffed adult kits with everything from Band-Aids to a tube of toothpaste and a washcloth.

Baby kits were stuffed with diapers, two receiving blankets and sleepers.

Although these were all little items volunteers said they hope they will have a big impact in Haiti.

"These are all items that they need, simple items people don't think of," Luce added.

"A bar of soap literally is a lifesaver for them in this situation," Barnette said.

The first batch of kits are slated to leave for San Antonio Thursday and will then be shipped to Haiti.

Volunteers told KXAN they plan on putting together more kits Tuesday morning at the church's activity center.

Barnette has even bigger plans and said relief efforts will continue at the church until people stop donating money and supplies.

"If we won't help them, who will?" Barnette asked.

Barnette said people who are interested in donating goods to fill health kits can drop their newly purchased products off at the church, located at 105 N. LBJ Drive in Johnson City.

People wanting to help can also donate funds to buy the supplies for the health kits, which Barnette said cost about $12. Checks can be made out to the First United Methodist Church and the donation is tax-deductible.

For more information, people are urged to call the church at (830) 868-7414 or the Blanco County Disaster Response Group at (713) 252-2288.