Louisville—In response to growing numbers of Africans infected with the HIV virus and AIDS, the Kentucky Baptist Convention and Kentucky’s Woman’s Missionary Union are organizing a statewide collection of health care items as part of a relief effort.

Beginning May 11, the project’s goal is to supply the Southern Baptist Convention’s international missionaries with essential health care items that will be distributed to caregivers and disease victims in Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“This is a way for us to respond to a critical need in Africa by helping to stop the spread of the disease to caregivers,” noted Coy Webb, KBC’s disaster relief associate. “It also gives our missionaries the opportunity to share the gospel and give hope to the hopeless.”

The KBC’s Baptist Men on Mission, along with WMU, are coordinating the statewide effort in conjunction with Baptist Global Response, the SBC’s international disaster relief organization.

“We know that Kentucky Baptists really like hands-on mission projects, and this is an opportunity to literally pack the bucket and send it,” said Joy Bolton, executive director of Kentucky WMU. “It’s especially effective when we know our IMB missionaries will be the ones distributing the goods to those in need.”

Individuals and churches can participate in the effort by purchasing items from a detailed list of household health products, including soaps, vitamins, healing ointments, creams and more. Items should be collected through participating Kentucky Baptist churches from May 11-June 15.

“These buckets could certainly be put together by individuals or families, but we foresee the majority being put together by groups, such as Sunday school classes, women’s or men’s groups, Royal Ambassadors or Girls in Action groups as a mission project,” Webb said.

Churches will then pack the supplies in five-gallon buckets and take them to one of 16 drop-off locations across the state between June 16-19.

KBC disaster relief trucks will pick up the buckets from the specified locations beginning June 20 and will deliver them to the SBC’s International Mission Board in Richmond, Va.

More information and a complete list of needed items are available at www.kybaptist.org/africaprojects, or by contacting KBC’s Baptist Men on Mission department at (502) 489-3527, or toll free in Kentucky at (866) 489-3527.