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Has anyone here made up Blessing Bags?


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My kids are very upset when they see homeless/hungry people with signs on the street. We always give cash if I have it, but we found info on blessing bags and really want to make some to hand out when we see someone in need. Has anyone here made then and what kind of stuff did you include/ what was the reaction you got after handing one out?

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but since we're not crafty they were just ziploc bags with items inside. We had things like a tuna snackpack (no can opener required), granola bars, fruit bars, cheese or p.b. crackers, juice. Anything you'd put in a lunchbox:) Handwipes might be helpful, too. We were always thanked. If it was warmer weather, we included more drinks.

 

Another option is gift certificates for food places that are near where people often stand.

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I don't like to give cash because I don't want to accidentally support an alcohol or drug abuse problem.

 

But, we've done cloth bags made out of dollar a yard fabric from Walmart or JoAnn's clearance.

 

In them we have put, peanut butter, plastic knife, bread, apples, raisins, pinto and kidney beans (canned, but we include a $1.00 store can opener), plastic spoons, and a blanket.

 

We do not see very many homeless at all where we live now, but we did when we lived near Portland, OR and so I made those up...two a month but that was all I could afford at the time.

 

Those that needed food were grateful and that was the usual response. We did have them refused occasionally and some "F-yous" once in a while. My assumption in those circumstances was that the person wanted cash for not so good purposes.

 

Faith

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My dh and I have done lots of homeless ministry. Like Faith, we rarely give out money. However, we will never let someone who is asking for food go hungry. Yes, we've had our share of people turn us down when we say 'No, I don't have any money to give you. But would you like some food?' But then we've also had people gratefully take the food.

 

We have never done 'blessing bags' exactly; we do fresh meals when we visit the homeless. (Where we live, there aren't homeless, so it's not as if we see them in our everyday coming and going. However it's about thirty minutes from our suburb to downtown Detroit.) If you wanted something to keep in your car to pass out, I'd suggest using a gallon ziplock, and some things I would put it would be:

 

Water bottle

100% juice box

granola bars

peanut butter/cheese crackers

nuts

beef jerky

individual cups of canned fruit w/ a spoon

dried fruit

napkin/hand wipe

 

You could also have separate toilietry bags, if you're comfortable asking if they need them. I'd have seperate ones for women and men, with travel sized things.

 

Men:

Razor

shaving cream

chapstick

lotion

toothbrush

toothpaste

comb

 

Womem:

lotion

chapstick

feminine hygiene products

toothbrush

toothpaste

comb

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That has crossed my mind, too, but I figure they could just sell the food to someone on the street and get cash that way.

 

I don't think it's very likely they'd be able to sell whatever food you would give them. I mean, who would they sell it to; a fellow homeless person? If I was homeless, hungy, and had money, I'd go buy my own food from McDonalds, CVS, etc. instead of buying it off of someone else.

 

I've never encountered homeless being able to get drug money by selling food.

 

Dh and I don't usually give cash, because let's face it, there *is* a fair chance it would be spent on alcohol or drugs. There have been times when we knew the person's story, or had a relationship built with them, etc, where we've given small amounts of cash for specific purposes.

 

However usually, we give fresh food, shelf stable food, blankets, coats, shirts, hats, socks, pants, gloves, toiletries, and bibles. And the gospel message. :001_smile:

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Yes, we did this as a service project with our co-op. Some bags we were able to hand out the car window at stop lights to those holding signs. Others we left under bridges where a homeless person had made camp (no one was there). In every case the bag was gratefully received.

 

We made one bag with food items and one with toiletries and then packed both inside a larger ziplock.

 

Raisins

Mini-flashlight with batteries

Peanuts

Bandaids

Pack of Baby-wipes

Hard Candy

Soup in pop-to cans

 

packs of Lance crackers

granola bars

cups of applesauce

cups/cans of fruit (like peaches or something)

juice boxes

bottle of water

beef jerky

small bars of soap

toothbrushes

boxes of toothpaste

small bottles of lotion

small deodorants

chapsticks

portable hand wipes

small kleenex packs

spoons/napkins (for fruit and applesauce

track and Bible

 

 

Here is a list from a local group http://www.churchinthewoods.net/howtohelp.htm

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I don't think it's very likely they'd be able to sell whatever food you would give them. I mean, who would they sell it to; a fellow homeless person? If I was homeless, hungy, and had money, I'd go buy my own food from McDonalds, CVS, etc. instead of buying it off of someone else.

 

I've never encountered homeless being able to get drug money by selling food.

 

Dh and I don't usually give cash, because let's face it, there *is* a fair chance it would be spent on alcohol or drugs. There have been times when we knew the person's story, or had a relationship built with them, etc, where we've given small amounts of cash for specific purposes.

 

However usually, we give fresh food, shelf stable food, blankets, coats, shirts, hats, socks, pants, gloves, toiletries, and bibles. And the gospel message. :001_smile:

 

That makes sense. Thanks.

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These are great ideas. We have two local women who appear to reside (or spend most of their time) next to my favorite starbucks. We usually give cash to one (and I know she spends it on food because I see her walk directly into the grocery store in the strip), but the other woman appears to have a disability of some sort - she just stammers that she shouldn't take the money (if she says anything at all; often she doesn't). Thing is, I don't think they are hurting for food - they are staples in the area and I generally see them with stacks of deli sandwiches and salads that the locals have purchased for them; given the money though, one of them will always spend it on food.

A blessing bag with toiletries is something I would be very interested in giving. I don't think they ever spend the cash on stuff like that (because food understandably seems more important).

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I have a friend who said she kept extra blankets in the car and $5 gc to McD or similar.

 

I find our house overflowing with blankets (I think each yr we get several as Christmas gifts). I am getting them ready to go in my car to hand out. It gets pretty cold here. Does McDonald's still do those dollar gift certificates? That would be good too.

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What a beautiful idea. I am going to make some.

 

This thread made me think about my dad. (He is still alive, by the way.) He liked to give away warm coats to homeless people in DC, where he worked. He would find a sleeping homeless person, and cover them with the coat. He would also tuck $50 in the pocket of the coat. Some of his money probably did buy alcohol and drugs. But that's what he wanted to do. He now lives in Florida. The homeless there do not need winter coats. So he sends coats to my sister in Chicago for her to give away. I don't think she goes downtown and actually finds homeless people, but rather donates them to shelters. Have I mentioned how much I love my dad?

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What a beautiful idea. I am going to make some.

 

This thread made me think about my dad. (He is still alive, by the way.) He liked to give away warm coats to homeless people in DC, where he worked. He would find a sleeping homeless person, and cover them with the coat. He would also tuck $50 in the pocket of the coat. Some of his money probably did buy alcohol and drugs. But that's what he wanted to do. He now lives in Florida. The homeless there do not need winter coats. So he sends coats to my sister in Chicago for her to give away. I don't think she goes downtown and actually finds homeless people, but rather donates them to shelters. Have I mentioned how much I love my dad?

 

He sounds precious!

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He sounds precious!

 

He is. I have really wonderful parents. I am lucky. (My mom did a lot of stuff, too, just in a different way.)

 

But I am really psyched about blessing bags. I am thinking of making some fleece blankets with pouches and putting stuff in the pouches.

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He is. I have really wonderful parents. I am lucky. (My mom did a lot of stuff, too, just in a different way.)

 

But I am really psyched about blessing bags. I am thinking of making some fleece blankets with pouches and putting stuff in the pouches.

 

Great idea! Hand warmers might be a welcome item.

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We make lunches to hand out to homeless people. The kids decorate the brown bags and we put a hand drawn picture and a note inside (something like, "God loves you," or "God bless you" or "We are praying for you today.") We don't give them to the people with signs, we just go to the areas we know the homeless congregate.

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That has crossed my mind, too, but I figure they could just sell the food to someone on the street and get cash that way.

 

Yes, they do.

 

The people in our area who do the most work with homeless people really discourage people from doing anything but giving to a reputable organization working holistically with people who are homeless so that the underlying problem can be addressed, rather than keep people barely surviving, or trading even food for drug money, etc.

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Yes, they do.

 

The people in our area who do the most work with homeless people really discourage people from doing anything but giving to a reputable organization working holistically with people who are homeless so that the underlying problem can be addressed, rather than keep people barely surviving, or trading even food for drug money, etc.

 

Yeah, I can see how that would make a difference at the root of the problem.

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