Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Blessing Bag Challenge!

I can't sleep. The Hubbs is rolling over, heavy sighing, moaning "GO to sleep!" I am too EXCITED! I have decided to help out people who need a little extra help. I have decided to bring some really great people with me to help those people out even more!

My friend Kristin mentioned me in a post about blessing bags last month. She didn't ask me to make the blessing bags, but she did inquire about my mad couponing skills and linked an article about blessing bags to the inquiry. I have to tell you (and her)..... she inspired me. She inspired me BIG time. (You go girl!) I posted my coupon blog in hopes to help people save money and help others in return. I also initiated  a challenge. A challenge to people that I know near and dear, friends from the past, women in my Mommies Group, and their friends of friends.

And you know what? In less then 3 hours I have 14 people who have contacted me to donate their time or supplies to my challenge. How FABULASTIC! (Yes, that's fabulous and fantastic all rolled into one!) I mean people are really awesome. I know how hard times are right now. Believe me...we just redid our 1 income budget...it was sad....really sad! Not, so sad that we won't make it, but we will breath a little easier after tax time.

However, there are a lot of people out there that aren't going to breath easy anytime soon. I have seen more and more people holding signs, asking for anything to help them out. Food, water, socks. I used to just see these people when I was driving to work downtown. Now I see them in my neighborhood. Now, I don't live in a ritzy part of Michigan. I do live by the shopping mecca of the Downriver community though. In the 3 years that we have lived here, and 31 that I have lived Downriver. I have NEVER seen a person in need on the corner asking for help. Until this year.

This all started with Kristin....and got egged on by the guy standing on the corner of Vreeland and Allen holding the KMart is going out of business sign...and now it's turned into this crazy challenge that people are actually responding to! (And yes, I know that guy was getting paid to stand outside with that  KMart sign...but it was f***ing cold out and it was Christmas Eve...really? How much could they have been paying him? Well - it was Christmas Eve...I stopped by and gave him a Tim Horton's hot chocolate and 10 pack of Timbits. He probably thought I was crazy because I was in my pajamas and my hair looked like hell...but he blessed me.)

So, here's my new mission...by the end of the year I want to have this group of amazing, giving people hand out 1,000 blessing bags. Yes, I said 1,000! We have the entire year folks....I am sure we can do it. I feel it. I am all Martha Stewart and June Cleaver feeling it!!! In all seriousness, the 14 people that have asked to help and then 1 person posting the challenge on her page, completely restores my faith in man kind. With all the crazy shit that happens in this world. It's nice to know that I am not raising my children in a world full of crazies. There are still people who care about others out there.

Thank you to everyone that is going to help, thought about helping, and wished us well on our way!
We can do this...I can feel it!

2 comments:

  1. this is awesome!!! good luck :)

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  2. Thanks! The list of people and items being donated is growing! I am super excited about it. I would love to do it monthly...I am going to shoot for every other month for right now. Who knows...maybe people will make up their own if they can't help now!

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