By VANESSA WELCH

vanessa.welch@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — A local church youth group is helping to protect the lives of others they may never meet face-to-face.

The Alpha and Omega youth groups at First United Methodist Church are selling cookbooks with all proceeds going toward Nothing But Nets, a grassroots campaign that donates nets to families in Africa which help prevent the spread of malaria.

“To think — one net protects a family of four,” youth pastor Annelle Ruemmler said. “I tell the youth that for every cookbook they sell they can save many lives.”

In Africa, malaria is the leading cause of death for children under age 5 and accounts for up to half of all hospital admissions and outpatient visits, according to information from the campaign. The disease is caused by a blood parasite transmitted by mosquitoes, and in poor areas of the world where dwellings lack window screens, insects have access to millions of people in their homes.

Awareness was raised for the disease when sports writer Rick Reilly wrote an informational column about malaria in Sports Illustrated, challenging each of his readers to help purchase nets to be used in homes of African families. The nets are hung over beds to protect those sleeping from mosquitoes, as information from the campaign states, “African malaria mosquitoes generally bite late at night or early morning, between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.”

The United Nations Foundation then joined with the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares, The People of the United Methodist Church and Sports Illustrated as founding partners of NBN.

Ruemmler said the UMC became involved with the campaign in part since its missionaries were already serving in Africa, and this has assisted distribution of nets in countries such as Zimbabwe where 7,125 nets were donated to hospitals, orphanages and clinics in 2007.

“Currently there is no vaccine for malaria,” Ruemmler said. “Transmission of malaria can be reduced up to 90 percent in some areas by using insecticide-treated bed nets.”

So far more than 2 million nets have been distributed throughout eight African countries, and eight additional countries are currently on a list for projected distribution.

Members of the church youth group including Miranda Shafer and Clay Jackson emphasized they continue to raise awareness and funds for Nothing But Nets to help those who are less fortunate.

“It feels really good to know that by selling cookbooks we’re reaching out and helping others,” Shafer said.

“In my perspective it’s really great to help others — especially people our own age — because a lot of them don’t have the same blessings and opportunities that we do,” Jackson said. “So it’s absolutely great to help them in that respect.”

For each cookbook the group sells, Cameron Stewart noted, “The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will also match our donation so that’s about eight lives.”

Ruemmler said the cookbooks contain “tried and true recipes from members of our church, and they make great stocking stuffers.” Each book also contains recipes of cakes, cookies and other sweets sold during the annual First United Methodist Church dessert auction which raises money for the church’s youth group summer mission trips.

“The kids have fun doing this and it’s such a wonderful cause,” Ruemmler said. “I’m proud of them and it really shows they’ve taken to Christ’s message of reaching out to other people seriously.”

The youth group will be selling cookbooks next during a Ham and Bean Dinner on Dec. 6 at West Salem Trinity United Methodist Church. To purchase a cookbook contact Ruemmler at 242-1030, or to find out more about the campaign visit nothingbutnets.net.