Participant Testimonials

Caregiver Kit Events are touching and changing lives — not only around the globe but here at home. Here’s what others are saying about Caregiver Kits:

“I am the children’s pastor at our church. The thing that drew me to this project is that it was something that the kids could do to learn to serve, to show compassion for others, and to respond to the AIDS crisis abroad. I was blown away by the response of the adults in our church who donated the money.

Left photo: Priscilla Bell, 9, assembles a Caregiver Kit. She came to the event with friends children and their mother. “I want to help people,” she says.

Right photo by David Kadlubowski, Genesis Photos: Nicole Gutierrez and her mom Sharon put together one of 3,000 Caregiver Kits at CitiChurch in Scottsdale, AZ. Female golf legend Betsy King organized this build after seeing caregivers in action in Rwanda.

Our children (K-5th) put all 400 kits together in an hour and a half! They LOVED it! We recently did a lesson with them that taught how God wants us to not just say we love others with our words, but to show it with our actions … After the kids assembled the kits, each small group gathered around the kits and they prayed over them. One of our small group leaders told me how a child in her group who had always been afraid to pray out loud finally did it! It was awesome to see God use this project to grow her to take that step.

I also believe that this project helped our children see that they CAN make a difference. They can use what they have to show the love of Christ to others. They also enjoyed it and learned firsthand how God blesses us as we give to others.

I pray that the people who receive these kits are blessed by them, but I can’t help but wonder if this project did more for changing us!”

— Jeannette, Seneca Creek Community Church

Blessings for a faraway journey — builders at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California gather to pray around their kits.

“We continue to bathe in the great, great way in which God used you to inspire [us] … The joy was palpable. The commitment to continue in service is real among many.”

— Todd, Menlo Park Presbyterian, Menlo Park, CA

“I am really excited about this project! I helped care for my mother while she was dying of cancer. On the morning before she died, my sister-in-law and I bathed her and tried to comfort her as best we could. Christ broke my heart as I reflected on the small thing I did for her and how devastating it would have been to me if I could not have given her such a simple comfort because I did not have any soap.”

— Jamie Naqvi, Baton Rouge, LA

“The Caregiver Kit event was a huge success! We packed all 120 kits between and after Sunday services during an event designed to give families information and access to summer service opportunities for all ages. Several kids, especially, really "got" the "do something" message and started scheming about how to put together more kits — exciting!”

— Stephanie Jones, Bethany Presbyterian

“We really enjoyed writing the notes to the caregivers. It was also moving when the students touched each box (with the completed kits) and prayed for the caregivers at the end of our time together. Thanks for this opportunity.”

— Meshia, South Bay Community Church

“Giving people the opportunity to DO something besides writing a check was very powerful – reaching out with their hands provided a tangible sense of relief to their souls. These people were all lit up and their energy level was incredible.”

— Maureen Thrash, Women of Vision

Photo taken by Mark Kuroda Photography

“What stays with me from the Caregiver Kit Event is … the number of people enjoying the task of preparing something that will make a difference in many lives far away; also the age span of volunteers, 3 years old (barely reaching the table) to 80+ years barely able to grasp the soap. The number of caregivers waiting for kits … the number of AIDS victims across the globe … the power of ‘numbers’ doing God’s work.”

— Mary Beth, Mt. Carmel Catholic Church

“Many people in the villages we visited [to film the Caregiver video] are on antiretroviral drugs. As a result they are doing much better and are able to work. The reason many of these people are on the drugs is because a caregiver began visiting them, educating them, and even transporting them to the hospital. So in reality, these Caregiver Kits are supporting caregivers who are saving lives.”

— Lisa, videographer

“We want to affirm the huge need there is for these kits … we have these amazing Caregiver networks and yet they don’t have the tools they need to do their jobs. We are excited to get these [kits] out and get more of them here!”

— Jeff, RAPIDS staff member
(HIV/AIDS initiative funded under the U.S. Emergency Plan
for AIDS Relief in Zambia)

“Caregiver Kits are on their way to Denver as you read this. The process throughout the project was fantastic. Every part was familiar, with not only World Vision, but also the specifics of the Caregiver Kit program. World Vision can be proud of the efforts put forth by their people involved in the project. Thanks for your encouragement and communications throughout the whole process. At one time, I was beginning to think we were all alone. But then an e-mail or package would arrive helping us to understand what was next or what to expect. Great job!”

— Rick Carlson, Wildewood Christian Church