Photo provided by Elizabeth Johnson

Elizabeth Johnson's "Romance with Church World Service"

One night in the early 1960s, Mother and I heard a stirring talk on the reconstruction work in Europe following World War II. Thus, the beginning of my romance with Church World Service!

CWS used-clothing drives were the big thrust then. Our garage in Dalton, Massachusetts, became the depot for some 20 to 30 churches. One year the collection was three tons.

Our family has a long-standing CWS joke. One year while checking closets in my brother's family home, Mother donated a somewhat worn three-piece wool suit to CWS. When the next funeral came, the minister (my brother) was desperate! His funeral suit had disappeared!

Our local Women's Fellowship presented Mother with a silver thimble as a "thank you" for her contributions to CWS. When Mother died in 1978 at the age of 90, her grandchildren chose CWS as the recipient of memorial monies.

From 1972-1978, I was a corporate member of the United Church Board of World Ministries of the United Church of Christ. In Mother's memory, I applied to volunteer as a sewing teacher to Haiti. After much correspondence, Servicio Social de Iglesias Dominicanas, a CWS partner, invited me to come to the Dominican Republic.

There were two outstanding centers, one in city slums, and the other on the frontier up in the northwest border with Haiti. Mothers and children came for meals and many activities. Upon first inspection of the building, I noted a dozen sewing machines not in use. During WWII I learned as a Home Economics teacher to service machines because no repairman was available. I was recognized as a skilled American technician!

My days were spent in sewing class at a local school with 300 students and only five teachers. Many projects with CWS/SSID supervision were part of village life -- gardens and farmers' cooperatives, a water canal for irrigation, a health and nutrition clinic, a warehouse with tools and medical supplies, and a fishpond. Many years later I was thrilled when our village was featured in promotional material used by United Church of Christ for our One Great Hour of Sharing.

Today, our garage remains a gathering location for Kits, which we then dedicate and deliver to the depot in Bennington, Vermont. The annual CROP Hunger Walk is a "highlight" of my fall, as a walker, treasurer, sponsor, recruiter, and chair of our first Walk some 16 years ago. I helped register 120 walkers this past October.

My hobby is basket weaving. Since 1995, I have made 65-70 baskets for our annual church bazaar. The sales I have divided between our local church and CWS. All of our lives are woven together. It is a blessing and gives us peace of mind that we can love and support the work and witness of Church World Service. "Thank you" for allowing me to tell the story of "My Romance with Church World Service!"