How To Make Love Bags For The Holidays (And All Year Long)

What do you do when you pull up to a stop light on an exit ramp and a man or woman is standing there with a sign asking for help?

I know many people get uncomfortable and don’t like the idea of giving cash because they aren’t sure if the money will go towards the right things.

I always think of a story that Wayne Dyer shared about giving $100 to a homeless person and the person he was with asked why he would do that when they were probably just going to buy drugs or alcohol with it. Wayne then said that it wasn’t his concern what the man did with the money. In fact, the gesture wasn’t about the money at all. He only gave it to him as a way of letting that person know that he was seen and loved.

I always remembered that story and try to keep it in mind. Sometimes even just a smile is worth more than any money you could give.

I’ve seen the idea to make a goodie bag for needy people (and also remember it shared by the crafty blogger behind Pillows-a-la-Mode). Now that my kids are getting older and “get” things more, I thought I’d try it.

If you’d like to make some Love Bags to give away to someone who might need a smile, just gather some items of your choice.

I’ve been saving any inspirational magazines I get (mainly because I feel bad throwing them in the trash) so I gathered them together.

Then I bought some bottled water.

And some snacks.

I had a stash of these hand warmers that we never use, so I added them.

Then, I had my kids color on some holiday cards….

and decorate some lunch bags.

Then we filled them up.

This project ended up having more benefits than I realized. Not only did my kids and I get to talk about helping people, but when I was cutting our address off of the magazines, the topic turned to privacy and how strangers don’t need to know our address. Good for them to know 🙂

And an added bonus…It forced me to FINALLY clean out the storage box in our car to make room for them!

Now we will be ready when we come across someone who needs a little “love”.

So, if you’re looking for a fun project to teach your kids about the Christmas spirit, here you go. Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

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