An Easy Service Project this Month {Evie Bags}

This post originally appeared on my site, Simplicity In The Suburbs but I thought it worthwhile to share here too.

I saw him from across the street and I knew. I knew my little girl, with her bleeding heart for others, would stop and want to help him. Wind blowing, the crisp air biting our cheeks, we rushed across the street, me carrying Miss F, our friends just ahead of us and Miss E starts reading, "Home lllllesss...."

"and hunnnnn gry. Mom, he is homeless and hungry. We need to help him." She stopped right smack on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Delaware in downtown Chicago. Her feet are glued to the ground, she will not budge until we do something, anything to help this man who's sitting on the sidewalk, blankets and trash all around him.

I dig my hand in my coat pocket and grab a handful of change and hand it to her and she bends down, sticks it in the mans plastic cup and while dozens of people are walking every which direction around us, she makes eye contact with him as he says, "Thank you."

She tells him you're welcome and we are on our way and I am ever aware that she is on the lookout for more souls she can help. She looks back at him as we turn the corner and says, "I'm so sad he is homeless."

Hours later we are en route home, a seven hour drive ahead of us, I tell her I am proud that she stopped and helped that man.

"Oh mom, it's what I do," she says. "I help people." And she grins a solid grin that she does so well and says, "Don't forget we need to make some bags for people."

***

With the Holiday season approaching the requests of your time, money, resources are plenty. I am not under any illusion of otherwise. But this year we've decided that Miss E, our almost 6 year old, is on to something.

Her heart, you guys. Her heart for others, for homeless, for hungry, for those out in the cold. She doesn't understand why it is that some people have homes and others don't. She doesn't understand why some people are so hungry and all she wants to do is make it better.

So this month, we'll be packing up bags. As many as we can pack and we'll be handing them out all month {hopefully winter} long.

Here's how you can help support Evie's bags-

2. As you put together the bags, keep it simple. A former homeless man I know said to avoid personal care items but include things like a snack and water and gloves. The Dollar Tree often has things like hand warmers that would be a great addition. I'm guessing we all have extra Halloween candy laying around that would be a good addition.

3. Include a personal note {no last names}. Evie's note of choice:

4. Pass those bags out. Wherever and whenever you can. You can pass along those bags to us and we'll pass them along OR you can tally the amount you make to give out and let us know so we can include them in our count and if all this is too much for you and you would rather donate to Evie's bags, shoot me an email at samarapostuma at gmail dot com and we will work something out.

5. Share this post. Invite your friends, coworkers, neighbors to take part to create some bags together.

Bonus: Will you take photos? Photos of your bags? Photos as you hand them out? And send them to me? I would love to do a compilation.

The thing that strikes me the most when it comes to Evie and the way she wants to help is the way that she truly sees people. She is unafraid, she is not awkwardly looking away as some of us adults do, she is not uncomfortable. Her act of helping those who need help is her way of saying, "I see you and you are loved and may this little bit I have to offer, help you."