Rihana* is a Yemeni mother whose 17-year-old daughter suffers from cerebral palsy. Her husband’s chronic illness keeps him from holding a job, and Rihana finds it extremely difficult to provide the basic items her daughter needs. After receiving adult disposable briefs, she said, “I had been depriving myself and my children of food to provide briefs for my disabled daughter.” Each day brings challenges for caretakers of disabled or elderly people in many parts of the world. Their limited incomes hardly cover basic necessities like food, housing, or heating. Caring for their loved ones without running water or indoor plumbing adds to their burdens. Many caretakers simply cannot afford to provide special medicines, wheelchairs, adult briefs, or other supplies. Adult disposable briefs are a basic gift, but they do two important things. They provide dignity and comfort for the disabled or elderly and they ease the loads of caretakers. In many places where CAM works, we find a critical need for adult briefs. A staff member in Romania shared some of the difficulties elderly people faced before receiving disposable briefs. “They used rags and pieces of material in place of briefs, then those rags were washed and used again . . . The smell was unbearable, especially during the [winter] when they dried all the rags on the stove inside the living space.” This year we hope to send more than 1.5 million adult briefs to Yemen, Romania, Syria, Israel, Liberia, Nicaragua, and other countries. These will be distributed to needy families, individuals, and homes or institutions for the disabled and elderly. Workers in homes and institutions in Romania share their struggles to cover their patients’ needs. “Most of the people in our nursing home are alone and without anyone in this world,” says a staff member from one home. “They have no income, no pension or help from anywhere. . . . Adult briefs are vital to our center. In Romania they are very expensive, and it is very difficult for us to buy them.” They also tell stories of residents who suffer from mental and physical handicaps whose families refuse to accept any connection with or responsibility for them. These homes are deeply thankful for adult briefs that relieve their expenses and help them provide quality care. “When we receive the briefs donated by you, we have more encouragement to continue this work,” said a worker from a nursing home. Haneen in Syria suffers from mental handicaps that keep her from talking clearly. She lives alone since the deaths of her parents and brother. Two brothers live in a large city, but they don’t visit her village or extend help. After being left alone in extremely difficult living conditions, Haneen became depressed and overwhelmed with grief. Believers began visiting Haneen and providing food and other items for a decent life. This care has helped to restore her joy. When believers gave her the gift of adult briefs, she responded with joy and squeezed out a “thank you.” You, our supporters, are helping to restore dignity and display Jesus’ love to elderly, bedridden, and handicapped people across the world. Thank you! If you would like to help provide much-needed adult briefs for families and caretakers, your contribution will be a blessing. *Names in this mailing are changed to protect identities.
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