Please Send Prenatal Vitamins

July 9th, 2008 Prenatal Examination Day
Top: Class & Worship & Prayer
Middle: Almost Time!
Bottom: Pastor Ernie Helping Out


Written July 13, 2008

Picture this: A Birthing Center in a rural village on a Philippines island. It is Wednesday morning, and the pregnant women are gathering on the porch for a class on Breastfeeding, taught by Filipina Licensed Midwives. The class is followed by singing worship songs with Pastor Ernie. Children play, roosters squawk, and more women arrive. It is the day for prenatal examinations at the Mercy In Action Maternity Clinic, where all services are provided free of charge to the patients and their young children. Blood pressure, pulse,weight, interviews on the porch--examinations inside--
but wait,
we are almost out of donated prenatal vitamins! Twenty-eight women got enough today...
but tomorrow?

I measure out what is left. Instructions are given on how to take them and on how to obtain vitamins from a healthy diet. I wipe the humidity off of my face and lift up short prayers that this woman, and this one, and this one,
will be able to afford eggs this week, or meat or something other than rice or noodles.

Without the vitamins?
These high-risk women have an even higher risk of hemorrhage.
Their babies are at higher risk of fetal distress.
Anemia keeps your body from carrying enough oxygen or iron. Not good.

Can you help?
Be a Mercy In Action Vitamin Angel?
If everyone reading this blog would go buy one bottle of 100 Prenatal Vitamins,any brand,
and mail them
We would be able to give 3000 individual vitamins per month for 3 months.

That would tide us over until Vicki is able to obtain more in the States and bring them when she returns to the Philippines the end of October.

If you cannot help with this project, no worries. I may come up with another that fits you!
If you want to try to help, read on.........

Thanks!

Hey, you are still reading! Here is what to do to make it easy. Get bottle(s) of vitamins, empty them into a ziplock bag and put them into a mailing envelope. Add the label from the bottle or put in a note that they are prenatal vitamins for donation to charity.
Address the envelope:
Terri Woods
Mercy In Action
PO Box 30714
Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro 5203
Philippines

Fill out a small, index card size customs form at the Post Office. Note the contents as prenatal vitamins for donation, value -0-.
This size envelope should not cost as much as a box or package, so please mail at the lowest airmail price. (The boat takes months!).

OR
go to http://www.mercyinaction.org
donation page
you can put vitamin money on a credit card or out of your checking account
and Vicki will buy them and bring back with her.
Of course, you can also become a monthly partner with us on this website ;-)

OR
if you are very very very generous or have a contact who manufactures vitamins
the Post Office has $39.00 flat rate boxes you can condense the bottles down and send.

thanks. you are an angel.