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As Sister/Parish relations develop many different needs become clear. Often a need to ship goods and supplies to a country overseas develops out of the peoples needs.. Transportation of goods and people in the 21st. Century is different than in the past. Today airplanes, ships, trucks, and trains provided a seamless transportation system to the global economy. This provides an opportunity to help Sister/Parishes if one can tap into this system. How to do this becomes an interesting challenge.
Many of the companies involved in the system have divisions of Global Corporate Citizenship or something like this, which are directed to help in just the endeavours needed by our brothers and sisters in the less developed countries. So, part of the way to get access to the transportation system is to contact this division. We were fortunate in that two of our parishioners worked for a company in the system. This provided a local contact that proved invaluable.
They helped us understand the internal companies needs and system, and made the goods move thru smoothly. So, ask around in your parish for people working in the system.
In the last year, Immaculate Conception Parish has delivered clothes, school supplies, and computers to our sister parish, Christ the King Cathedral, in Bungoma, Kenya. From this experience we have learned additional aspects that may help other parishes in the future.
Here are some Lessons Learned:
The Nitty Gritty Ones
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Regardless of the method of shipment both the shipper and receiving country will need an itemized packing list of what is being sent, with the weight and value of each item. This would read something like:
* 200 gross, pencils -- $28.00 – 15 lbs.
* 5 gross, crayons -- $ 13.00 – 10 lbs.
*
etc
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Along with the list(s) you will need Pro-Forma Customs Declaration Forms, obtained from any international shipper, correctly filled out. We found it helpful to have a copy of the itemized packing list with the weight of each box tapped to the outside of the box. Also send a copy of the packing lists along with the customs forms to the individual receiving the goods way before the goods are actually sent. This gives the in-country receiver time to confirm with their customs service that the goods will not be charged duty upon entry. In our particular case a National Identification Number of the charity to which the goods were being sent was also required. This number was also clearly attached to each box. It indicates to the customs officers that the goods are for charity and not sale. So, check to see if your receiving country needs such a number. If the in country church does not know it, they can get it from their country’s Department of Revenue or Income Tax Department. Lastly it is also helpful to number each box, and if all goods are being shipped together – highly recommended – write 1 0f 12 boxes, for example, ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOXES.
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You will be required to fill out a Shipper’s Declaration Form, 7525-V obtained on-line from the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau.
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/regulations/forms/index.html This form can be a bit onerous to fill out as each item must have what is called a Schedule B number – Description of Commodities – obtained from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Export Administration web site.
http://www.census.gov/foerign-trade/schedules/b/ The Foreign Trade Division of the U.S. Census Bureau can also be helpful in filling out this form. They can be contacted at 1-800-549-0595.
If you have any difficulty getting the form, let the secretary at Immaculate Conception Church in Arlington know, and we can send you a copy. (360) 435-8565, ext 10.
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To ease the time and effort to complete all these forms it is helpful to pack as many similar items in separate boxes, i.e. all crayolas in one box, books in another, and so on. This will most likely not be the way parishioners will give you the goods, so be prepared to repack all donations to suit your needs.
Some broader areas:
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We were fortunate it getting the goods sent along with a new plane delivery. It is best, in fact almost essential, to have an in country representative rather than a public shipper, that you know personally to receive the goods. He or she can inform the sending church of any unique customs regulations they need to meet. They can also make contact with the in-country shipper. In our case we had an airline shipping the goods upon receiving one of their new planes. By the in-country representative contacting the CEO of this airline, he was able to get the CEO’s consent, clearing the way for the airline manufacturer to load and ship the goods.
- If you have a parishioner who works for The Boeing Company, you can have them explore the possibility of shipping goods on a new plane delivery thru The Boeing Global Corporate Citizenship Division.
Hopefully these learning experiences will help others to not become discouraged about “getting the stuff thru”. For “Catholic social teaching proclaims that we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they live…Learning to practice the virtue of solidarity means learning that ‘loving our neighbor’ has global dimensions in an interdependent world”.
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