Water Bottle of Sustenance

In addition to bags we’re adding water bottles of sustenance. All of the items depicted here fit inside of the extra dimensional space of the water bottle.

What is a Bag of Hoping?

So -- For the last several weeks I have been building bags of supplies to gift to the homeless folks that I have been seeing on my commute home standing in the median strip with signs that say "anything will help". It is getting colder out. I bought some wool blankets, some hats and gloves, some energy bars, flashlights with batteries, hand wipes, and hand warmers, socks and so on. Things that could make someones life a little easier, a little warmer. I have been keeping two of these bags in my car at a time and so far I have given out four of them. There are two spots where I have been monitoring and today I was at the second spot, exit of a shopping center. I pulled up to this one person who was wearing a trash bag over their clothes because it was raining. I handed them one of the bags that I had built and they just started to cry.

I had a minute because the light had just turned red so I had a conversation with them. Their name is Thomas and their brother had brought them out from Arizona. But Thomas' brother had died three years ago and the brother's wife I guess didn't help Thomas out, Thomas said that she kept everything. Thomas is just trying to get back to Arizona but essentially has nothing. Well... today, at least for a short time, Thomas had a conversation, some food, some new socks, and a wool blanket. Maybe it will help them stay warm tonight. They've also now got a flashlight, a hat, and gloves.

I am already planning my next bags, trying to put more food into these. I've also recruited my family to help. My daughter likes to help me pack the bags and my spouse is looking for information we can include in the bags for how to direct people to services that can help them. And because I'm a big nerd I have decided to call these "Bag of Hoping" and I'm starting a website and FB page to maybe solicit some donations while also putting up instructions on how to build your own bags of hope. I have also made an Amazon idea list of things that I have, or will, put into bags so if you want to buy things to put together your own bag for the people near you that need help you can learn from what I have tried.

Anyway -- I just felt really that Thomas' story should be shared a bit wider. The look on his face when he realized that someone had taken the time to think about helping... that's something that I'll probably never forget actually.

Thanks for listening.

For now, if you would like to build your own Bag of Hoping, I suggest checking out this Amazon Idea List for things that I have put into some of the bags I've made. Bag of Hoping Ideas

And if you like what I have done and want to contribute to my bags you can always donate a coffee to me on my Ko-Fi page