​The Bare Necessities ministry works to make a difference in the world by sewing reusable diaper and feminine hygiene kits.  These kits are then distributed globally through Sisters of Mercy and independent missionaries.   Since its inception Bare Necessities has sent kits to Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.  We also provide kits to Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach for local distribution.   Since our beginning in 2015, we have distributed approximately 600 Diaper Kits and over 1000 Feminine Hygiene Kits.   

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Who is our neighbor? For our Bare Necessities Ministry Team, it is a mother and baby in a remote village in Africa as well as a young girl in Haiti or Thailand.  It is also an aging person who is now in a nursing facility.  Creating reusable diaper and feminine hygiene kits reaches to the deeply personal needs of women and children around the world.  Caring for our aging elders also recognizes the dignity of each life of the person we are holding in our hearts as we cut, sew, snap, and package the products we’ve created. We also expanded this year to partner with the Prayer Shawl ministry and crafted Baby  Blessing Blankets, small fleece blankets crafted with care and many prayers. While the team faced challenges this year – including health struggles for key members, and a hurricane of epic proportions – we pushed forward.  Some of us worked from home, others learned new skills to help out, and we even worked by lantern light to apply the final snaps on some of the products! 

In 2024 we created and shipped another 50 feminine hygiene kits and 32 diaper kits that are going to The Luke Commission in Eswatini.  82 impactful kits that we pray will ripple through the lives of the people who receive them, their families, those that distribute the kits for us, and even our own lives as we reflect upon the call to love your neighbor as yourself. We are grateful for the engagement of our team who have each supported this ministry in unique and meaningful ways.

As we look ahead into 2025 we know that our work time will be different and mostly remote until road conditions are better, but we remain committed to continuing forward with this important work.  We are welcoming  a new team member and are already planning ways to coordinate supply drop offs and pickups.  We are looking ahead to another year of busy hands and caring hearts.  As this ministry continues, please keep it in your prayers. 

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