Hero of the Month
Happy New Year! If FCOP had to pick the "Hero" for the last month of 2015, it would have to be Children's Hunger Fund. The timing could not have been planned better, and yet it was just one of the many God ordained miracles that have sustained this ministry for the past 17 years. What am I talking about? "Duvets"! If you are like me, you're thinking, "What are they?" I didn't know it when I accepted the shipment last September, but they have become one of the most important, and live saving gifts we could have received.
On December 14th FCOP went to a meeting where all childcare organizations were given three months to meet "New Standards", imposed via UNICEF, through the Ministry of Social Affairs. The list is exhaustive, but good, if it can be afforded, and the human resources are available to pull it all off. Among the most expensive items on the exhaustive list, are that all beds need to have foam mattresses with two changes of bedding. We found the donors for the mattresses we needed, but the washable covers, sheets, blankets, and pillowcases were a big problem. Good quality sheets are very expensive, and cheap stuff goes to pieces after a few washings. Our biggest problem was that we needed mattress covers, sheets, blankets, pillows, and pillowcases. With 3000 mattresses to care for, with double sets, it turned out to be something like 18.000 sheets, etc.
Now get this! On December 15th, two 40-foot containers landed at the Port of Sihanoukville. These contained over 20,000 sets of duvets and pillowcases. They are made of 180 threads per inch pure "Egyptian" cotton. The "Duvets" came from Finland were they are used to cover heavy blankets. They are single bed size, and like giant pillowcases. Our mattresses fit in them perfectly, and they can also serve as sheets, and if stuffed with a cheap blanket become an extra warm comforter. The pillowcases are the same material. If we had to purchase these retail it would have cost us over a million dollars. Tell me there is no God!
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