Pill Bottle Collection Drive Helps African Clinics

With diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria infecting African nations at epidemic proportions, medicine is hard to come by. And when medicine is available, a sanitary bottle to put in may not be. The Salvation Army of San Bernardino is making a little easier for some African missionaries to get the much-needed pill bottles we take for granted here.

(PRWEB) July 23, 2006 -- In Africa, where serious diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria still infect at epidemic proportions, medicine is hard to come by. And when medicine is available, a sanitary bottle to put it in may not be.

The Salvation Army of San Bernardino is making it a little easier for some African missionaries to get the much-needed pill bottles we take for granted here. This summer, it collected 6,000 pill bottles to assist clinics in Africa.

“We received pill bottles from everywhere,” said Major Jacque Fritz of The Salvation Army. “I think, for two and a half months of collecting, we did great.”

The Salvation Army has exceeded its goal for collecting pill bottles, Fritz said, and no more are needed at this time. But The Salvation Army doesn’t let anything go to waste. A few extra pill bottles will be filled with flowers and donated to local rest homes.

“Donations of plastic flowers, Styrofoam plant holders and packing peanuts, Play-Do and ribbons would be appreciated for use in making these centerpieces,” Fritz said.

Some of the organizations that helped collect the most pill bottles are a women’s prison in Corona and the Kiwanis Club in Oxnard, as well as a branch of the Salvation Army in Sacramento, and members of the local Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network, also known as SATERN.

“SATERN put the word out and brought a whole box in,” Maj. Fritz said.

The Salvation Army has now turned the pill bottles over to Juanita Sloan, a member of the Living Faith Full Gospel Church in San Bernardino. Sloan sent them to a woman in Indianapolis, Ind., who will take them later this year to the mission she works with in Africa. This will help the mission dispense much-needed medications.

The Auxiliary came into contact with Sloan through Auxiliary member Julia Bogany, who also is a member of the Living Faith Full Gospel Church.

The Salvation Army is a resource working to help the people of our area lead better lives. You can reach The Salvation Army at: 746 W. Fifth St. in San Bernardino or call (909) 888-1336.

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