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Relief kits

A woman in a winter coat holds up a five gallon bucket and smiles at the camera.

Valuable supplies for families

Below is a list of items found in a relief kit, as well as items we cannot accept.

Last year, MCC shipped 28,583 relief kits to Cuba, El Salvador, Malawi, Ukraine and Zambia.

Relief kit contents (NEW items only)
 

  • 4 large bars bath soap (leave in wrapper)
  • Shampoo; 1 or 2 bottles totaling more than 600 ml (20 oz); place in a resealable plastic bag.
  • 4 large bars laundry soap (such as Fels Naptha®, Sunlight®, or Zote® brands)
  • 4 adult-sized toothbrushes (in manufacturer’s packaging)
  • 4 new bath towels (medium weight, dark or bright colors preferred); approximately 70 cm x 125 cm (28 in x 50 in)
  • 2 wide-toothed combs; 15-20 cm (6-8 in)
  • 1 nail clipper (good quality)
  • Adhesive bandages (minimum 40)
  • Sanitary pads (THIN; 1 or 2 packages, minimum 28 pads total)

Items we cannot accept:
 

  • Face towels/cloths
  • Hotel/mini bar soap
  • Full nail care kits or nail files
  • Hair conditioner
  • Panty liners
  • Personal notes or family photos
  • Child size/small toothbrushes
  • Men’s pocket combs
  • Travel size toothpaste
  • Powdered laundry detergent
Relief kit contents laid out on a table
Examples of acceptable and unacceptable combs
Please select wide-toothed combs that are 15-20 cm (6-8 in) in length. This photo depicts two acceptable combs on the left. Please avoid fine-toothed or extra-wide combs like the ones at the right of the picture.

Thank you for limiting your generosity to the items listed. Due to strict regulations in some countries on the expiration date of toothpaste, MCC no longer asks for toothpaste to be donated with the kit. Instead, we will provide toothpaste with the kits when they ship from our warehouse.

Place contents in a box or bag and deliver to an MCC drop-off location. The kit will be re-packed in a new 5-gallon plastic pail with a lid.

MCC relief kits

Relief kits provide valuable supplies to families whose lives have been disrupted by war or disaster.
A person hands another person a 5 gallon bucket.

Relief kit assembly

We’ve created a simple relief kit assembly guide. Click the link below.

Printable relief kit assembly instructions
Lady dropping off materials at the MCC Great Lakes office in Kidron

Kit Drop-Off Locations

Once you’ve completed your kits and comforters, find a drop-off location near you. With locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, we are happy to accept your donations of comforters, completed kits and kit materials. 

Find a drop-off location
A woman stacks moves boxes out of a shipping container and stacks them on top of each other.

Material Resources: A hands-on way to help others

MCC believes that sharing supplies like kits and comforters is an important way to communicate compassion and care for people across the globe, fulfilling Christ's command to love our neighbors. Volunteers are a driving force behind MCC’s Material Resources program.

Get involved

Questions?

Got questions?  Fill out the form below to ask a member of our Material Resource team any questions you have about kits and comforters. 

Cash for kits and comforters

Every donation makes a difference.