Monday, March 19, 2012

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:


Blessing bags….

Blessing Bags Photo
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!


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3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the idea. It is always difficult to see people in this situation and know what to do.

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  2. What an amazing idea. I used to live in New York City and I wish I had seen this idea then. Such a simple idea with a lot of impact.
    Valerie
    Everyday Inspired

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  3. I love this idea....I am going to make some of these with my 5 year old son, we encounter people all the time that ask us for money and what a way for us to help. I am also going to suggest this as an idea for his school. Thanks for sharing.
    Sonya

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