Caring Kids Assemble Winter Care Kits

Our Caring Kids family volunteer group partnered with the Family Support Center on Saturday, January 18th to help assemble Winter Care Kits for families experiencing homelessness in our community.

We began our volunteer activity by reading a book recommended by our Raising A Reader early literacy program: “A Place to Stay, a Shelter Story” by Erin Gunti. This book did a great job of providing an imaginative way to begin a discussion on homelessness and also talks about ways that we can help families in this situation.

Then our Caring Kids dove right in to the volunteer project by sorting and packaging Winter Care Kits and hygiene bags. In assembly-line fashion, our 35 volunteers made quick work of packaging the many donations that were collected throughout the past month. Each Winter Care Kit included two hand warmers, 1 fire starter, 3 ziplock bags, 1 chapstick, 3 protein sources (meat stick, tuna, nuts), 2 bars/crackers, 1 sweet snack (candy, fruit, pudding), 1 pair of gloves, 1 emergency blanket, 1 lotion. Together, we packaged over 100 bags!

The Family Support Center will then take these bags and distribute them to families throughout our community who are experiencing homelessness. During the event, one child remarked “why can’t everyone have a home?” While at this time we have many people in our community working on that solution, the children were able to bring a little comfort to those experiencing a difficult time this winter while growing their compassion for others in need.

If you still want to get involved in this project, the Family Support Center is still accepting donations for Winter Care Kit items:

• Hand warmers – lots of these!!
• Emergency blankets (silver ones)
• Hand sanitizers (small)
• Snacks (non-perishable, high fat, high-calorie)
• Candies
• Little lotions
• Chapsticks
• Gloves (new)!
• Ziplock bags – lots…they are used for storage…quart and gallon size.
• Little flashlights with batteries
• Lighters and matches
• Chicken or Tuna salad pre-made packs found at Dollar Stores