Two years ago a friend (a hobbyist) and I went downtown on Christmas Eve. I made 50 moneybags that had at 5-10$ in them and we had hundreds of donuts.
The donuts went really fast and it was a disorganized mess, really. There were a few hundred (?) homeless people gathered at a drop off location downtown. After giving away the donuts we drove around and threw the money bags from the car window to the homeless people sitting around and walking on the streets. They were so grateful. Some even cried. You'd have thought they won the lottery instead of catching a handful of change in a sandwich bag. I'd like to do this again, but bigger and better this year. Here are my thoughts: -First of all, I need some volunteers, maybe half a dozen or so. We will need to go downtown on Christmas Eve. We can go in the late morning or early afternoon if that works for everyone. We have to go on Christmas Eve because that's when they all gather for the drop offs. -I'd like to collect coins/changeDo you save your loose change in a bottle/bowl/drawer, etc? Please consider donating your change so we can put it in bags and toss it to the homeless on Christmas Eve. -Please donate blankets, coats, warm hats and scarves, warm socks, sweaters, even shoes...anything like this that you can offer. Now is the perfect time to get rid of things we aren't using to make room for the new stuff we will get for Christmas. -I'm going to have a raffle on 12/11. Please ask me how you can participate in this if you're interested. Tickets will be 20 each or 6 for 100. I will raffle off 1H of time for every 300 sold in tickets. With the money from the raffle I want to buy food, drinks, and make the money bags to throw again. I'd also like to purchase a bunch of warm hats and/or scarves or socks so that everyone can receive a donated item for Christmas. Do you want to help a few more homeless people get a present on Christmas Eve? Consider asking your co-workers, family members, and neighbors for their donations, too! I can accept donations from now until 12/23 and will hopefully have several drop off locations for your convenience. Maybe I can even get a volunteer to drive around and pick up donations. If you have donations please let me know and we can figure out how to get them to my place or to another volunteer! I have some ideas about how we can do this in an organized fashion so we can be helpful to more people and I welcome suggestions from the other volunteers. There are just so many of them who are so desperate to get something, they will take over if we don't manage them. I REALLY need some reliable and capable volunteers! Thanks for reading my post. I'm excited about this. I think it's going to be fun and rewarding. Please let me know if you can help in some way. Please pm me
Glad to see others helping those less fortunate. But might I add when you do your donation drive for the holiday... Please don't forget the womens shelter. A lot of folks donate items for men. Which is wonderful. BUT sadly there are A LOT of women & children on the streets and in shelters.
I ask on a weekly basis when I drop off items to them, as to what what they need more of. AND it's always MORE womens & children clothes/shoes in ALL sizes. Personal hygiene items for all types (ladies, I don't need to explain the various items needed). This particular shelter, does ACCEPT non perishable foods and other items to help women get set up in their own place. So please consider that when donating.
One request I get when on a daily basis,I'm down among the homeless, passing out food and clothing. That those donating clothes, keep in mind their ONE request. NO article of clothing in white. They're request.
Because many have said, white gets dirty very easily and it makes them feel shameful.
I can understand and respect that. They do have feelings too.
Lastly, they SOOOOO appreciate any type of bag/backpack/ suitcase. AND toothbrush and toothpaste. I've never seen so many smiles and heard sooo many THANK YOU'S and please *bring more of it*.
God bless and ya'll have a wonderful holiday and New Year.
The donuts went really fast and it was a disorganized mess, really. There were a few hundred (?) homeless people gathered at a drop off location downtown.
After giving away the donuts we drove around and threw the money bags from the car window to the homeless people sitting around and walking on the streets. They were so grateful. Some even cried. You'd have thought they won the lottery instead of catching a handful of change in a sandwich bag.
I'd like to do this again, but bigger and better this year. Here are my thoughts:
-First of all, I need some volunteers, maybe half a dozen or so. We will need to go downtown on Christmas Eve. We can go in the late morning or early afternoon if that works for everyone. We have to go on Christmas Eve because that's when they all gather for the drop offs.
-I'd like to collect coins/change
Do you save your loose change in a bottle/bowl/drawer, etc? Please consider donating your change so we can put it in bags and toss it to the homeless on Christmas Eve.
-Please donate blankets, coats, warm hats and scarves, warm socks, sweaters, even shoes...anything like this that you can offer. Now is the perfect time to get rid of things we aren't using to make room for the new stuff we will get for Christmas.
-I'm going to have a raffle on 12/11. Please ask me how you can participate in this if you're interested. Tickets will be 20 each or 6 for 100. I will raffle off 1H of time for every 300 sold in tickets. With the money from the raffle I want to buy food, drinks, and make the money bags to throw again. I'd also like to purchase a bunch of warm hats and/or scarves or socks so that everyone can receive a donated item for Christmas.
Do you want to help a few more homeless people get a present on Christmas Eve? Consider asking your co-workers, family members, and neighbors for their donations, too!
I can accept donations from now until 12/23 and will hopefully have several drop off locations for your convenience. Maybe I can even get a volunteer to drive around and pick up donations. If you have donations please let me know and we can figure out how to get them to my place or to another volunteer!
I have some ideas about how we can do this in an organized fashion so we can be helpful to more people and I welcome suggestions from the other volunteers. There are just so many of them who are so desperate to get something, they will take over if we don't manage them.
I REALLY need some reliable and capable volunteers!
Thanks for reading my post. I'm excited about this. I think it's going to be fun and rewarding. Please let me know if you can help in some way. Please pm me.
Just drop me a PM and I will do whatever I can to help! I have many resources in the downtown area so let me know what you are thinking. I also have a big box of spare change and would love to give it up.
Always open to ideas!
Your pal,
Joe
