PETOSKEY — The First Presbyterian Church of Petoskey is looking for volunteers to help assemble light kits to be sent off to Ukraine later this month.
From 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, the church will be welcoming people into its hall to work together to assemble full solar light kits designed by New Vision Renewable Energy.
Ryan Donahoe, pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Petoskey, said the church got involved in the effort because he has a friend who has been doing humanitarian work for nearly 20 years in Romania, Moldova and Ukraine.
Each light kit costs $135 in parts and shipping. The church is still accepting donations for the initiative.
The church has been helping build rechargeable battery packs that go with the light kits. Donahoe said the batteries are charged in the sunlight for eight hours. The kits are designed to provide light overnight for people trapped in their basements, as well as giving them the ability to recharge their phone batteries.
Those working to assemble the kits are also able to leave notes of encouragement.
According to a press release, nearly 2,000 battery packs have already been assembled by the church. Donahoe said his father, Rick Donahoe, is a retired engineer and has helped build the batteries and train multiple church members on how to put them together.
“Our plan is to keep doing them (light kits) as long as the people there need them,” Donahoe said.
The batteries are sent out to other churches and organizations throughout the country to be included in the completed light kits.
For the Sept. 18 event, the church will be welcoming people to put together 100 light kits, which the church has already fundraised to purchase. No training is necessary and people will be available to help teach people how to assemble the kits.
“Part of the First Presbyterian Church of Petoskey is we’ve been very involved in the community in Petoskey, helping out various organizations and individuals in town here, but also recognizing that our connection is around the world,” Donahoe said. “Thinking about the people on the front lines of Ukraine … it brings them hope to let them know that they’re not forgotten, that there are people aware of who they are and what they’re going through and are thinking of them. It helps us connect with our siblings on the far-side of the world.”
— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @KarlyGrahamJrn.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey church making light kits for Ukraine, hosting kit assembly event Sept. 18
Reporting by Karly Graham, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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