40 Bags of HO HO HOpe
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Highways and Byways Ministries believes in helping people all year long, but the holidays do bring the opportunity to spread some cheer and let the homeless know that they aren’t forgotten, especially during a time that represents joy and warmth with family and friends – blessings they aren’t fortunate enough to enjoy.
This year, we baked some homemade treats for a couple of homeless shelters. We prepared goody bags to hand out. Each bag contained a banana-walnut loaf, gingerbread muffin with old-fashioned butter glaze, a brownie, chocolate chip and sugar cookies, peppermint bark, plus a handwritten Christmas card. (We also handed out giant candy canes to each person once we got to the mission; not pictured.)
Contents of Goody Bags
Including Homemade Peppermint Bark
Sister Debbie
Sister Debbie & Daughter, Michele
The Bags
As we entered the Veteran’s Day Center, tired, weathered faces lit up; worried frowns turned into bright smiles; joy abounded – if only for a few minutes.
“You’ve brought smiles to so many faces today.”
“Thank you.”
“God bless you for doing this!”
“A Christmas card!”
“Oh, it’s banana bread!”
“I haven’t seen a big candy cane like that in a long time!”
Those are some of the quotes coming from the people who received their goody bags today. Many of them were Veterans. They served our country, yet they wander the streets; homeless.
Additional needs have been brought to our attention (we’ll be sharing them in an upcoming post). We are taking donations so we can help more than our small family ministry is able to. Help us help others…
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That stuff in the bags looks fine for some people, but if I were homeless, I’d like some Beef Jerkey or Dry/Packaged Cheese, Pretzels, a Tooth Brush and a Bible.
Sister Debbie,
What a wonderful expression of Christ’s love! Knowing Michele as well as I’ve come to know her through our mutual writing/blogging, I’m not at all surprised to learn that she and her family are involved in such an outreach.
All I can say is may the Lord richly bless you for your love and care to those in need who usually have so little to look forward to each day and precious few special surprises to brighten their lives. Through your generous and cheerful giving, you have not only made the recipients of your goody bags smile, but God, as well!
Christmas blessings,
Jeanne
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Michele L. Tune, Michele L. Tune and RawJuiceGirl, TXWriter. TXWriter said: RT @MicheleTune: spent yesterday delivering homemade treats to the homeless (many were Veterans): http://tinyurl.com/y94zxph [...]
[...] recently delivered goody bags to nearby homeless shelters, for [...]
SGT Blake: We welcome any and all comments and suggestions. These bags were not meant to meet any physical need; they were only from our hearts to the recipients’ – we were trying to bring fond memories with special smells of an old-fashioned Christmas. The joy of precious memories – even for the homeless people and forgotten Veterans – is priceless. We thank you for your interest in this project. Hopefully in the future, you can be a part of this ministry outreach. We are (at this time) gathering many personal items for these shelters, and others. We will add some of the items you listed, as the Lord supplies. We have always given Bibles; not just to the homeless, but through jail ministry, and numerous other ways. My prayer is that you never face homelessness. May God richly bless you and your family in this coming New Year.
Sister Debbie
Jeanne,
Thank you for your comment. Michele has spoken of you often. We are so sorry for the loss of your Mother. A caretaker is a special person with many blessings laid up for them. I am the baby of 10 children, and had a very good mom whom we lost in 2001. Christmas was always a special time for her – even when she didn’t have many material things. I was always taught by her example of giving and sharing what she had. It is a joy, honor, and a privilege to be able to be of service to others. With God’s help and grace, I hope I have instilled this in my family and many others through my years of service to the Lord. May your Christmas be wonderful, and your New Year be blessed.
Sis. Debbie
Sister Debbie,
Thank you so much for your kind words! Mom was a very special woman, filled with love for God, her family, and anyone in need. She is sorely missed, yet I know she is experiencing unimaginable joy with her Lord in heaven and I rejoice to know that she is free from pain, illness, suffering, and debility.
I know that you can understand my feelings, since it sounds as if you had a mom as wonderful as mine. Christmas was always a very special time in our home, too, because Mom and Dad did everything in their power to stretch their modest budget — and use their amazingly creative imaginations — to make a batch of simple gifts seem like the greatest bounty a child could ever hope to receive. That’s one memory that will always stay with me, as I await the day when we will all be reunited on the other side. (Dad went to be with the Lord in 1998.)
Even when Mom became homebound in her later years, she still responded with compassion to the needs of others.
I just know that you have managed to instill your own love for serving others into your family if Michele is any indication — and I’m sure she is! Your example will also continue to be a light and an inspiration to many others for years to come. So, keep up the good work, because one day you’ll hear those blessed words: “Well done!”
Thanks again,
Jeanne
Jeanne, my mom loved that song “What a glad reunion day…” – we have family reunions on this side, but they’re nothing compared to what we’ll have on the other side. As we’ve worked in the ministry through the years, we’ve come across so many people who become our family. Even at this last homeless shelter that we visited, there were people who just seemed “familiar” and like they were already our family – and we’d never even met them. That’s what God is trying to create: the real family of God.
Blessings,
Sis. Debbie
[...] saw worry and stress wash away from their tired faces as they realized we were walking in carrying Christmas goody bags, Christmas cards, and giant candy canes – just for [...]
Amen to that, Sister Debbie!
It will be such a blessed reunion on that day, when we not only see the loved ones we’ve lost but also the rest of our brothers and sisters in Christ, who were always our family in spirit but who we may never have had the privilege of meeting (or getting to know well) — and the entire family of God will live together in perfect love, peace, joy, and harmony forever! What a day that will be!
<3
Jeanne
[...] Christmas, we took some goody bags to the homeless. This wasn’t fer necessity, but to let ‘em know they aren’t fergotten. A many of ‘em nearly [...]