My hometown seems to have more homeless people than a lot of cities I visit, even larger ones. My heart tugs when seeing these men and women suffer. I know there are ministries and shelters for those who are hungry and need care, but I also believe that the homeless need something beyond the daily necessities of life.
They need your care. They need to see love in your eyes. Their faith in humanity needs to be restored. How can you help?
Instead of regretting not being prepared at the stoplight and looking down at your phone, be ready to give. Make your car a place to minister. Personally, I don’t like to give money to people I don’t know. Though we all appreciate money, something more practical and thoughtful is preferred in this situation.
Basics
- Peanut Butter
- Socks
- Water Bottle
- Trail Mix/Protein snack
- Multi-purpose wipes
- Comb
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Toilet tissue
- Deodorant
- We always give a New Testament Bible which brings hope and comfort.
Extras
- Prepaid phone card
- Stamps
- First aid kit
- Chewing gum
Container Types
The type of container is up to you. You can go as basic as you like or as sophisticated as you like. It depends on your budget and time needs. The first way to do this if you’re just getting started, especially if you only use a few items from the list, is a Ziploc baggie. The pros of this option are its cheap for you and small to store in your car. The con is it isn’t a good long term item for the recipient and it isn’t very large.
Another good contain option is a garbage bag. This is cheap for you, but big enough to store items for easy carrying. It’s also good because it doesn’t attract much attention to the recipient, and they are less likely to be stolen from. However, it is still plastic and doesn’t have long longevity.
The last option is a book bag. Ironically, you don’t want to purchase a nice backpack for this job because it will be flashy and will be stolen. You can find these for cheap at a thrift store. The design doesn’t matter, just that it’s in decent shape and all the zippers and straps work. The backpack is perfect for long-term use and carrying purposes. If you go this route, I would check out this awesome video on how a couple creates their homeless backpacks for less than $20 per backpack.
If you need a new car for your ministry, check out Mcloughlin Fiat.
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