Anatomy of a Blessing Bag

Have you made blessing bags? I've seen them on Pinterest. They are great to keep in the car for people you see asking for help/handouts on the street. Putting them together is easy, and it's a great activity for children. Kids can help you fill each bag, just like Operation Christmas Child Shoe boxes. Keep them in your car, and hand them out when you see someone holding up a sign and asking for some help. (Public Service Announcment- The paranoid mom in me wants to remind you to use common sense and not drive up and down dark alleys at night, rolling down your windows and such. PSA over.)

What can you put in these bags? So many things! (You can see what I had this go around in the pictures.)

I have a list below of some ideas that can be put into gallon sized bags for giving out, if you have other ideas share them in the comments section!

1. A list of local food banks
2. A list of local shelters
3. A list of churches
4. A list of nearby clinics/hospitals
5. A note wishing them a blessed day
6. A bible and/or tract
7. Some cleaners will clean a persons clothing if they have a job interview, if you see a sign like this up- make note of the location. Add this to your bag if it's in the same area.
8. Zip top bags- I like to include a couple of extra zip top bags, to store the toothbrush in, to store items that might leak, to store items someone may want to keep dry and so on. Pretty much all the toiletries, since there is food in the bag.
9. When you stay at a hotel, all those bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotions, and bars of soap? Pick them up! Someone handing out samples? Now you have something to do with them.
10. Shampoo
11. DRY/Waterless Shampoo
12. Conditioner
13. Sunscreen
14. Lotion
15. Bug spray
16. Bandaids
17. Socks
18. Hand Sanitizer
19. Antibacterial ointment
20. Wet wipes 
21. Safety pins
22. Toothbrush
23. Toothbrush holder/keeper/container
24. Tooth paste
25. Floss
26. Chapstick, lip balm
27. Deodorant
28. Comb or brush
29. First aid kit
30. Kleenex
31. Toilet paper
32. Hat/Cap
33. Scarves
34. Gloves
35. Wash clothes
36. Nail clippers
37. Nail file
38. Pads/Tampons
39. Q tips
40. Floss
41. Tweezers
42. Hand warmers- Target has/had them. You break them and they heat up.
43. Hard candy
44. Gum
45. Wrapped, non perishable snacks- beef jerky, crackers with cheese/peanut butter, nuts, granola bars, dried fruit, Tuna, etc.
46. Plastic spoon for items like applesauce, etc. 
47. Peanut butter
48. Throat lozenges
49. Refillable water bottle
50. Packets of crystallized iced coffee/tea/Crystal light. (The kind you pour into water bottles)
51. Pens
52. Notebook
53. Poncho
54. McDonald's gift card (or other place)
55. Phone card
56. Glow sticks- the ones you break and they light up.
57. Envelope/s with first class stamp