In the fall of 2006, the Peace Paks project was born when Conrad Mandsager, founder of ChildVoice International (CVI), received an email from the CVI's  partner organization in northern Uganda with a simple request: to send gifts for the child mothers and their children for Christmas. Subsequently, there was such a positive response in 2006, that the staff of ChildVoice knew they should continue the Peace Paks program in 2007 with one addition – to send a team of ChildVoice volunteers to hand out the packages.

The year 2007 was an exciting year of growth in the number organizations participating and the number of Peace Paks that were sent to Uganda. The churches involved in 2006 and 2007 were Durham Evangelical Church in Durham, NH; Calvary Tabernacle in Schenectady, NY; and Grace Community Church in Rochester, NH. Other churches and individuals that became involved in 2007 include: Lighthouse Assembly in Rochester, NH; First Baptist of Hope Valley, Hope Valley, RI; Christ Community Church, Conway, SC; Mothers of Preschoolers, Durham, NH and students of Dover High School, NH. Members of American Lutheran Church of Rantoul, IL made over 100 quilts to accompany the Peace Paks. Interestingly, students from Good Shepherd School in Barrington, NH made their first quilt and sent it to a mother in northern Uganda.

The Peace Pak bags were bulging with surprises for the mothers and children of northern Uganda. People with giving hearts and great creativity provided wonderful items- from the practical toothbrushes, soaps and shampoos, to the entertaining- dolls, balls, coloring books and stuffed animals.

As people learned of the Peace Pak project, they sought ways to help. Shipping boxes were donated by a New Hampshire moving company; pallets and a pallet jack were provided through other volunteers. Thad Mandsager, Program Director of the Seymour Osman Community Center in Dover, NH offered his location for packing the boxes. About 25 volunteers gathered to pack the shipping boxes. Volunteers drove the entire shipment to Montreal to be shipped by British Airways.

In total, 650 Peace Paks were sent to the child mothers and their children. In addition, 121 quilts, 105 rag dolls, and 48 bibles as well as countless extra stuffed animals and toys cars were sent. Boxes filled with practical household items, educational supplies and toys– things you would see in an American house any day and never give them a thought, would now be delivered to Uganda.

The team arriving in northern Uganda to distribute the Peace Paks was:  Nancy Hellmann, the CVI Peace Pak coordinator; Jack Patton, an architectural partner of CVI; Sheila Reynolds, who helped with Peace Paks; Jennifer Shepherd, a member of the missions team at Durham Evangelical Church; and Roger Proulx, a CVI partner from SoulFest. Once in Uganda, the packages were dispersed to child mothers in Lukodi, at the CVI center and with the help of Action for Children, to the child mothers in the IDP camp at Unyama.

Boxes filled with love, not bound by distance or circumstance, intended to bring peace, hope and a bit of joy were a reminder to these mothers and children that they are remembered- and they are heard.