"Penny of Time" Adventure: Care Kit for the Homeless

 

 

We've seen similar ideas on pinterest, but after reading and watching Candid Slice's video on making Travel Sized Care Kits for the Homeless, we knew we needed to make them.  Go watch it!  It is quite short and to the point, and she has several suggestions that I don't include here in what we did.  

 

These are care kits that are small enough that you can keep one on hand in the car.  I can tuck one into a nook in the glove compartment!  As she suggests, we'll be keeping one in the car and handing it out when we see someone in need. 

 

 

My 4 year old and I went shopping.  We bought enough items for 2 kits:

soap

lotion

band aids

(alcohol-free) hand sanitizer*

(alcohol-free) mouthwash*

deodorant

toothbrushes

wet ones wipes

toothpaste

sunscreen (not pictured)

and SOCKS

 

*One reader noted concerns with giving away these two items due to the alcohol content.  If you can find alcohol-free items, chose those, or, as suggested by the reader, omit the items from the kit.

 

As we shopped, we talked about each item and why it would be important to include.  He really listened because he told his brother all about it later!

 

One of each was put in a sock (including the other matching sock).  I tried to buy gender neutral smelling things and went for the basic white athletic socks.

 

As each item was placed in the sock, we talked about the daily needs of someone who is homeless.  Clean socks are important because they don't have the luxury of throwing the dirty ones in a laundry basket each day.  (The boys know how *stinky* socks can get in one day!)  Mouthwash is important because many of them have dental problems since they can't afford to go to a dentist.  With each item we placed in the sock, the boys could better understand the how being homeless impacts even the smallest thing about your life.  This was good for them to think about and understand.

 

Then the boys went to work drawing pictures and writing nice notes to include in the socks.

 

The 6 year old was VERY SERIOUS about making his note special.

After all of it was complete, my 6 year old looks at me and says,"I need to include some money, too."

He ran to his saving jar (he is saving for a building toy) and grabbed money to include in each envelope that was going into the care kits. 

I asked, "Why do you want to give them money?"

He answered with, "They don't have enough money to buy the things that they need.  I can help a little with that."

As a friend once said when her son showed a

special act of kindness: 

Be still my heart.

To read about an experience we had when we gave away a care kit:
Kids Helping the Homeless, Delivering Care Packages to the Homeless