Loving Others - Project 1 - Blessing Bags for People Experiencing Homelessness

Loving others - Project #1

Goodie bags for people experiencing homelessness.

Living in Houston, it is a very normal thing to see people experiencing homelessness.  We pray for these people as we drive by in the car.  Sometimes I use this time to talk to my girls about how God has blessed us and we should be thankful.  Then we decided to do more.  We made up some bags to leave in the car.  Our goal is to pass them out when we see someone who could use them.  While handing out the bag, I roll down all windows and my girls and I tell them hello.  We smile and wave and wish them a good day.  We practice this in the car when no one is around.  We believe it is as important to be kind and loving with our words and smiles as it is to hand out the bag.  We want people we meet to leave with the idea they are special and loved, not matter the circumstances. 

Here are some ideas of items you could include in the goodie bags

Socks
Cups
Peanut butter
Toothbrush and toothpaste (maybe ask a dentist to donate these)
Bottled water
Rice krispi treats
Lotion, shampoo, conditioner, soap (like the little ones you get from a hotel)
Comb
Pictures (my girls ages 3 and 5 colored/decorated a picture for each bag)
A story about Jesus or tract
Books
Playing cards
A puzzle book like Sudoku or crossword

 

I read that they often need bags, so I put mine in Ziploc bags thinking they could reuse them.  You could use leftover plastic bags from the grocery store, but I wanted them to see what I was giving them when I offered it. 


*****Update - May 2013
These have been a great success and I'm not the only one doing this.  One guy asked me if I belonged to the church that gives these out all the time!  A friend of mine rolled down her window to give one out and the car in front of her gave one before she had a chance to!  Yay for people loving other people.  Keep it up. 

Thinks I learned - Do not call them "Bags for the homeless" or your five-year-old will inevitably ask the person receiving the bag if they are homeless and need a homeless bag.  I'm new at this but I'm pretty sure that was offensive.  We discussed what the bag was for and why we give the bags and my children decided to call them "Blessing Bags" instead. 

One person complained because they didn't need soap since there was no way to wash.  Another lady acted like it was Christmas.  One person thanked my kids and asked told them to always obey their mom and be sure to wash behind their ears!  You never know the response you'll get, but 95% of the time it's been positive.  Don't be discouraged.  Just love people.