Many Masks Mailed
Recently the United Methodist Women received a request to send masks to the Navajo Nation, where people are experiencing curfews and stay-at-home orders (except essential workers). During the novel coronavirus pandemic, these people have had little personal protective equipment (PPE). Churches around the U.S. received appeals through social media, electronic newsletters, and emails (an online newsletter from a church in Denton, Texas, and a post on the Oregon-Idaho UMC Conference!).
Our Spruce Street mask-makers answered the call by filling two U.S. Postal Service flat-rate shipping boxes with more than 90 masks. We mailed them to New Mexico during the first week of February. Our donation added to others’ donations, and will help contain the spread of COVID-19, which has run amuck through among the Navajo people.
A special article in Response outlines a personal account of a United Methodist Woman who is a Navajo, who illustrates what people experience and the circumstances that prevent access to stores, health care, and education. Be sure to read it: www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/news/navajo-nation-and-covid-19
The Navajo Nation extends from western New Mexico across southern Utah to northeastern Arizona, and is home to more than a quarter-million people, divided into, 110 chapters. To be a member of the Navajo Nation, a person must be at least one-quarter Navajo. The Nation has a president and vice-president, and a representative government. More information about the Navajo Nation: www.navajo-nsn.gov
Judi McCracken,
Spruce St UM Women – VP
SSUMC Witness Committee
MonValley District UM Women – Social Action
