Homeless Care Kits

As my family and I watched our church's annual General Conference this past weekend I was particularly touched by 1 talk which focused on the refugee crisis and how each of us should be more like Christ and more willing to help those around us.  Our church even launched a new site geared towards helping not only the refugees but also those in our own communities who are struggling and need help.  I "got bit by the service bug" (as my husband calls it) and after doing much research decided that there is quite a bit our family can do to help our local community.  We live in an area with a higher poverty level (40+%) and there are many who need help.  I contacted our local homeless shelter and hospital and asked what needs they have and what donations they accept.  We decided that the first project we would do would be to put together hygiene/care kits for the homeless shelter, so, that is what I'm sharing with you today!  Below I will detail what we included in our kits along with other ideas.  We put together 10 bags in total and we plan to do more in future months.

Pictured above are our "boy kits" which included:

Shampoo

Conditioner

Soap

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Mini first aid kit

Razor

Shaving cream

Deodorant

Lotion

Granola bar

Pictured here is an example of our "girl kit" which included:

Shampoo

Conditioner

Soap

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Deodorant

Mini first aid kit

Razor

Granola bar

Feminine products

***Tips & Suggestions***

-We used 1 gallon freezer bags, they're a bit more durable and not too huge so they will be easy to carry/pack around

-You can buy packs of 10-12 bars of soap for much cheaper than buying them individually, the same goes for toothbrushes

-Buy travel-size items, they will fit much easier in the bags and will be easier for people to carry with them

-Budget and plan in advance! If you're buying travel-size items they will cost around $1 each, it adds up quickly.

-Always contact your local shelter, hospital, clinic, etc, first to know what they are most in need of, they always appreciate any help they get of course but it's best to donate what they really need.

-Involve the whole family!  My boys had so much fun picking out everything, putting items in the cart, and then packing the bags - I set everything out in piles on the floor, gave them each a bag, then they picked 1 item from each pile and loaded the bags, they had a blast doing it!

***Other Item Ideas***

Socks

Chapstick

Quarters (for laundry)

Small bottle of water

Comb/brush

Tissues

Wipes

Washcloth

Non-perishable snack foods (crackers, granola bars, etc)

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I would love to hear any feedback or suggestions if you've done something similar!