Idea found on Pinterest...

Have you ever come across a homeless individual and felt totally uncomfortable?

I live in the city and see drifting individuals every day. I do know from my volunteer work that handing them money is not the best thing, but they do have needs that I can help with. Their lips are chapped. They are hungry. They are thirsty. They need a little boost.

Here is a simple idea that I came across on pinterest:

(http://www.joyshope.com/2010/11/i-heart-big-hearts.html)

Blessing bags….



Photo by Julie of Joy's Hope



This seems like an easy project and one that the entire family can get involved in. We are now going to keep a few "Blessing Bags" in our car so that when we do happen to see someone on the street that is homeless, we can hand them a Blessing Bag. If you'd like to make your own Blessing Bags, here is an example list of items you might include:

1 Gallon Ziploc bag to hold the items
Throat lozenges
Trial size Ibuprofen/Acetaminophen
Hand sanitizer
Hand or face lotion
Packaged hand wipes
Lip balm

Tooth brush and toothpaste
Soap/shampoo

Washcloth

Comb

Band-Aids
Small selection of ready-to-eat protein rich food such as:
   Cheese and crackers
   Power bar or Granola
   Tuna in a bag (no cans requiring an opener)
   Beef jerky
One sweet item such as single serving fruit or pudding

Juice box
Plastic utensils and napkin
Prepaid phone card
Pair of men's socks

Local resource list for the homeless

This would also be a great activity to do with other families in our neighborhood. Each family could bring one of the items going into the bags (ex: toothbrushes). Using an assembly line approach we could fill the Ziploc bags in no time.  I think I’ll work on this for our next neighborhood alley party.

Let me know if you can think of any other items that might be helpful to a homeless person.

Thanks!