Buckets of cleaning supplies are on their way to help storm victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The Church World Services Committee of the First Congregational Church UCC of Wiscasset has sent 10 buckets of emergency supplies on their way.

Committee Chairman Nancy Roby said each of the five-gallon buckets contains scouring pads, sponges, a scrub brush, laundry detergent, rubber gloves, dust masks, heavy-duty trash bags, household cleaners, work gloves and more.

“The idea is to provide people impacted by the storms with some of the essentials needed to start cleaning their homes,” Roby explained. She said church members began their collection effort shortly after Pastor Josh Fitterling received an email from Church World Services seeking donations following Hurricane Harvey, which recently struck Houston and the Gulf Coast states.

“They said their supply of emergency cleanup buckets had been greatly depleted and there was an urgent need for more,” added Roby.

The committee and congregation responded immediately and within three weeks had filled 10 plastic buckets donated to the cause by Ames True Value of Wiscasset. Roby said contributions were collected at the Friends of Wiscasset Library’s Bands for Book event and other contributions were received from merchants participating in the Wiscasset Art Walk.

The buckets were carefully packed and sealed Sept. 20 and delivered to Woodford’s Congregational Church. The Portland church serves as the CWS depot for Maine. The buckets from Wiscasset will go with other UCC parishes’ buckets to New Windsor, Maryland and then be distributed to hurricane victims.

Other church members on the CWS committee are Anne Harris, Janet Hatch, Kim Hatt and Ginny Withee. All were were busy sorting items and packing buckets with Pastor Josh Fitterling Sept. 20. The items contained within each bucket add up to about $75. Before the buckets were shipped, their plastic lids were snapped tight and sealed with packing tape.

Roby said the committee has an annual spring collection program when it makes up hygiene kits and kits for school kids. Church World Service was founded in 1946 and is a cooperative ministry of 37 Christian denominations and communions providing sustainable self-help, development, disaster relief and refuge assistance around the world.