“To love God and neighbor is not something abstract, but profoundly concrete: it means seeing in every person and face of the Lord to be served, to serve him concretely.” (Pope Francis, Address during Visit at the Homeless Shelter “Dona Di Maria,” 5/21/13)
If you are anything like me, you may always feel obligated to offer assistance when you see a homeless person, especially at this time of the year. A lot of people believe that “assistance” should be monetary. I disagree. Assistance can come from offering food, clothing, opportunity, or just talking with the person.
I have been keeping little things in the car to give out for years but having a little “kit” makes it so much easier for myself and the person I am blessing. I first saw the idea of putting items together in the form of “Blessing Bags” on Pinterest a few months ago. I truly enjoy the idea of being positive and proactive to face the need of poverty.
This is such a great idea! Keep these “Blessing Bags” on in your car for when you may pass by someone in need. I live in a suburb of Chicago. The area had been hard hit with recent economic downturn. Often, I find myself at a traffic light, next to a homeless person or two standing on the corner. Who has not been in this situation before, right?
This is an easy and inexpensive project to do with the kids to teach them about charity, compassion, and selflessness. My daughter and I put together a few of these in about 10 minutes at about $3 per bag. All of the iems were purchased from the DollarTree. When we were finished assembling the Blessing Bags, we distributed them among the cars so both my husband and I can offer a “Blessing Bag” in when we do happen to see someone who is in need.
Items to Construct a Blessing Bag
- Gallon size Ziplock bags
- Some ideas for other things you could include:
- Chap stick
- Tissues
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Mouthwash
- Comb
- Soap
- Deodorant
- Hand wipes
- Hand sanitizer
- Tylenol (individual packet of 2)
- Band aids
- Trail mix
- Granola bars
- Crackers
- Peanuts
- Juice box
- Gum
- Mints
- Coins (to make a phone call, or purchase a food item)
- Socks
- Gloves
- List of homeless shelters or food banks in the area
- A note of encouragement
What our bags contained
- Mints
- Wet wipes
- Hand sanitizer
- Chapstick
- Gloves
- Gum
- Crackers
- Cookies
- Granola Bar
