Lamont Reed (plaid shirt) and Carlos Nieves unload groceries at Hopewell Mennonite Church in Reading, Pa. MCC East Coast churches pack more than 1,700 bags that are shared with people in need throughout the East Coast region of the United States.

Women gather at MCC East Coast's Material Resources Center in Ephrata, Pa., every Wednesday to volunteer their quilting abilities. The quilts made will be donated to go to relief efforts around the world.

Girls volunteering with meat canning

MCC sends thousands of kits to refugees, displaced people and survivors of natural disasters each year. Every kit is collected, packed, checked and counted by volunteers before being shipped to its destination. While made up of simple supplies, the joy they bring to recipients is long-lasting.