Friendship Bags
December 3, 2007
You probably live in a big city somewhere in the
What can you do about it?
Not a lot of people support the ones standing on the corners around town asking for money or food. Why? Because they do not believe their money will be used in the most appropriate way. You can never know if a person will buy food or just another bottle of alcohol what is usually common among the eleemosynary. But you also don’t want to ignore the real call of help: it is not difficult to give some cents for those who really need it. What can you do about it?
“Friendship bags”
One couple a several years ago felt the same way. They didn’t want to ignore the poor ones, but at the same time wanted to be sure their money is going to be used in an appropriate manner. The solution was very simple. The couple made some paper lunch bags and put some inexpensive but useful items, like cans of food, change for a phone call, etc. They carried these paper bags in the car giving them to the people asking for food or money. Wasn’t that clever? Now these small paper lunch bags are known as the “Friendship bags”.
While hearing about the “Friendship bags”, the leadership of the church decided to develop and spread this new idea. Now, every month a group of volunteers get together and make about fifty paper lunch bags. Then the bags are brought to the church and left there for the one who would like to have some in their car for giving out while driving around town.
The church’s given “Friendship bag” contains:
- a pop-top can of fruit, or fruit cocktail
- a pop-top can of Vienna sausage
- butter and crackers
- a small can of juice
- a package of cheese and crackers, or peanut
- a moist towel
- a napkin and plastic fork
- one all-day bus pass
- change for a local phone call
- a coupon for a free shower
- a card with a list of community contact phone numbers (crisis clinic, food bank, Salvation Army, etc.)
- a small tract and note from the church inviting them to stop by or call if they need any further assistance
If you can’t pass the hungry and poor people asking your help in the streets, the “Friendship bags” could be the solution. Is it difficult to make some of your own and give them away? No. Will it help? Definitely, yes.
