Mercy Bags
Mercy Bags for those in need:
Have you ever been in this position? It was a cold winter day and we pulled up to a red light. A man stood there on the corner with an unshaven face, a beaten-up grocery cart filled with his important and only possessions, things you and I would probably have tossed in the trash at some point. He looked cold, he was suffering there on the side of the road. You could see he needed help, but I didn’t feel comfortable . . . I didn’t know what to do. “Mom, why is he staring at you? His sign says he is hungry and needs food.” My children asked a question, and I couldn’t not answer. “He is staring because he needs help. And I am unsure what to do.” I felt like my reply was a letdown, a lost opportunity to teach compassion. I don’t carry cash. I didn’t have food on me. “Well, we need to do something.” My children issued a challenge, and we were going to meet it.
During the month of November, the focus will be on collecting items to make these Mercy Bags. The Workers of Mercy are asking you to donate Items for this. Once collected this will be a service project for our Confirmation and Youth Group to help put together. Last year we collected from both St. George and St. Jude to make a total of 50 bags. We would like to have 100 bags this year. Below are items to buy for the Mercy Bags. Please consider doing this.
We will start collecting from 10/29-11/17.
Dollar General Store or Dollar Tree first for cheap toiletry items and possibly some of the food. Here are the useful items we usually find at a dollar store:
Whatever of these items we can’t find at a dollar store (jerky, for instance, is usually hard to find there), we then buy from somewhere like Walmart.
Before you go to purchase your items, know we are looking to make 100 bags
Also, be prepared for strange looks or questions from the checkers when they see you purchasing a large quantity of things like the deodorant. If you prefer not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing (or feel too awkward, like I did), you can always brush the questions aside.
But you could also, if you’re brave, tell the checkers straight-up what you’re doing and treat it as an opportunity to evangelize.
Another good idea, if you’re somewhat hesitant about handing money to homeless people, is to put gift cards into the bags. We have bought McDonald’s gift cards and put them inside last year.