Many people may not like what is posted here, but love is also about the truth, and from many years of watching what happens with donated care packages and blessing bags handed out on the streets. I have watched as much as 50% of items tossed in the trash at times. I have watched items being sold to others so they could purchase alcohol or drugs rather than use the needed items. I have witnessed others not getting a care package or blessing bag while they watch another sell the items from their blessing bag. This is the truth and reality of what happens on the streets. I have watched people fight over their care packages because the packages contained different items and worse. On a brighter note, I watched it many times as a few individuals would trade different items when the packages were different or give the items away to another who needed them more. We need to see all sides of things in order to understand and do better. 

This is not to deter those offering care packages or blessing bags but to raise awareness that these things are happening. It would break my heart when I had to watch those who desperately needed the items that were handed out but ran out of the packages before their turn. Being on the street as much as I am, you get to know who will toss half the items in the garage as soon they are sure no one is watching.

 After watching these things happen all the time, there had to be a better method. We were handing out many blessing bags or care packages every Sunday and would always run out of them. Some individuals desperately needed the items going without and the waste we were seeing was troubling. We stopped handing out blessing bags or care packages and started to place the unbagged items on a table and allowed individuals to take a few of the items they needed. It didn't take long to see how well it was working, we started to see that more individuals were getting what they needed and more individuals were helped. It was a pleasant surprise and we started requesting groups not to bring blessing bags or care packages to our events.  

With the changes you see today, we see donations decreasing as more individuals tighten their budgets and an increase in those in need. Looking to reduce waste can help to do more with fewer supplies. We also found that some of the individuals only took items when they needed them as they discovered we would have the basic items each week and helped with doing more with less. This is the main point of this post, as an individual looking to provide care packages/blessing bags consider other options in the methods of distribution especially if these are being handed out weekly. We know times are tough and more and more are going to look at ways to do more with less.

LIFE - Love Is For Everyone