By Dawn Milachouski
On a Tuesday afternoon every month you will find the Bare Necessities Ministry team from Transfiguration Bat Cave busy working together on a variety of tasks. Our workdays mainly consist of cutting fabric, sewing, snapping, sorting or kitting items, and packing things for distribution.
This ministry focuses on three main products: reusable feminine hygiene kits, cloth diaper kits, and fidget blankets (lap quilts to keep hands busy for elderly / dementia patients). These items target some of the most personal facets of life for young ladies, women, and the elderly. In the US we are fortunate to have safe, sanitary options for taking care of our personal hygiene needs as well as those of our babies, however in many countries around the world that is not the case. In poverty-stricken areas inadequate menstrual hygiene affects the health and development of adolescent girls. Girls are often unable to attend school during their menstrual and may also be more susceptible to sex trafficking or even early marriages. Many mothers are unable to afford or lack access to clean diapering options for their children. As aging people develop dementia or simply lose the ability to care for themselves, they sometimes develop physical tendencies to pick at the skin on their hands and arms or loss of mobility. Fidget blankets are a fun and colorful distraction that provides a way to occupy hands and minds. It truly is a blessing and a direct calling to provide items that care for “the least of these”.
For 2023 all of the kits were shipped to The Luke Commission, a medical missionary organization serving thousands of patients in Eswatini (Swaziland). You can learn more about The Luke Commission at https://www.lukecommission.org/. If you would like to learn more or support the ministry by joining us in our work, donating necessary items, or just supporting us in prayer please reach out to Dawn Milachouski – dawn@ectransfiguration.org. You can also learn more about our ministry by visiting the website of the Church of the Transfiguration, Bat Cave: https://www.ectransfiguration.org.
