Buckets of Blessings - In response to the recent earthquake in Haiti, Hearts With Hands is requesting that interested persons contact their local fast food restaurant and request their empty food-grade 5 gallon buckets to be used for packing and shipping foods and other relief items to Haiti. Upon arrival to Haiti, buckets will be distributed to those in need.  The victims of January's devastating earthquake will have the contents of the bucket. The bucket itself may be used for storage or other purposes.  Below are ideas for packing Buckets of Blessing.   Use your imagination and be a blessing to a disaster victim!


• Beans, rice, and other food product may be packed in the buckets and closed with the re-sealable lid.
• Buckets may be packed with food, baby food, wipes, diapers, and other items.
• Non-food grade buckets may contain detergents and cleaning supplies.
• A First-Aid Bucket may be made consisting of basic first aid supplies and over the counter meds.
• When possible, separate items should be packed in zip loc bags to prevent leakage.
**Please do not pack clothing items at this time.

Early Tax Relief - Donate by February 28th and take a tax break this year - You can get even more than a blessing by donating to the Hearts With Hands Haiti relief effort by the 28th of February. You can get an early tax break when you file your 2009 return this April 15. On January 21, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill that will make donations given toward Haiti relief between January 12 and February 28 deductible for 2009.
Please be sure you contact your tax professional for proper application to your particular financial situation.