Have You Ever Come Across A Homeless Individual And Felt Totally Uncomfortable?

Have you ever come across a homeless individual and felt totally uncomfortable?

You see them and you know they are in need, but you are not sure what to do. You know that handing them money is not the best thing. But, you also see that they clearly have some needs. Their lips are chapped. They are hungry. They are thirsty. They are asking for help.

How can you help?

Here is a simple idea - blessing bags.

This was such an easy project. We are now going to keep a few “Blessing Bags” in our car so that when we do happen to see someone on the streets who is homeless, we can hand them a Blessing Bag. I first learned of these bags from my friend, Julie. I am using the picture of her bags (see above) because the ones we took were taken in horrible lighting and turned out really grainy and hard to see what is inside of them.

If you’d like to make your own Blessing Bags, this is what you would need:

Gallon size Ziplock bags

items to go in the bags, such as:

chap stick

packages of tissues

toothbrush and toothpaste

comb

soap

trail mix

granola bars

crackers

pack of gum

band aids

mouthwash

coins (could be used to make a phone call, or purchase a food item)

hand wipes

you could also put in a warm pair of socks, and maybe a Starbucks gift card

Assemble all the items in the bags, and maybe throw in a note of encouragement. Seal the bags and stow in your car for a moment of providence.

This would be a great activity to do with some other families. Each family could bring one of the items going into the bags (ex: toothbrushes). Set up all the items around a table and walk around it with the ziplocks and fill the bags.

http://kwavs.blogspot.com/2011/05/blessing-bags-how-to.html

Melted Crayon Chicago Skyline by redditor 0x4A6F686E

I try not to post much political content on this blog, but considering that I posted this in a fit of frustration last night, I feel obligated to point out that there's a lot of equally (or more) terrible stuff going on in the United States and all around the world and I would be remiss if I neglected to even mention it.

I'm sure I missed some things, so feel free to fill me in.

Edit: There's also a lot of misinformation being spread around. Do some reading before you react (whoops) and check your sources (including all of these)! However, even if events and reactions are exaggerated it's entirely appropriate to still be mad that these things are actually still issues in 2013. I swear, some of these are equivalent of a 60 year-old throwing a tantrum by rolling around on the floor, crying loudly, shouting at mommy and daddy and kicking at anyone who comes too close, except on a global scale.

Edit 2.0: According to sharingpurellwithhowardhughes " People’s assessment of the ousting of Aussie PM Gillard is actually incorrect". Thanks!

Adding Monsters to Thrift Store Paintings

Have you ever been to a thrift store (think Goodwill or Salvation Army) and noticed that they usually carry a small selection of landscape paintings? Artists Chris McMahon and Thryza Segal decided to inject a little fun into these discarded works and give them a second life by adding monsters to the scenic landscapes. The trick is to match the paint originally used (e.g., acrylic or oil) and try to blend the monsters into the original scene as if they were always there.

I've never seen a better literal interpretation of "you scratch my back; I'll scratch yours".