Inspired by a couple of friends, today we put together “Blessing Bags.” The bags are filled with simple snacks and hygiene items and we’ll pass them out when we meet homeless men and women in town. With Thanksgiving & Christmas around the corner, I had been brainstorming ways for our family to give back during this season. So often I feel helpless when encountering the suffering of homeless in our city and want to do something more long lasting and meaningful than handing over my spare change. Hopefully these bags will lighten to load for someone in need! 

We turned this into a fun family activity, shopping for the items and putting the bags together. It also gave us a great opportunity to talk about why we give as a family.

Want to make your own? Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Gallon-sized freezer bags for storing the items. You’ll be surprised at how much they fit!
• Protein-rich snacks like crackers with peanut butter or Cliff Bars
• Juice box
• Applesauce squeeze/crusher
• Washcloth
• Toothbrush
• Trial size of the following items: deodorant, toothpaste, ibuprofen, hand lotion, soap, shampoo
• Cough drops
• Bandaids
• Hand sanitizer
• $5 gift cards to local grocery store
• List of local resources