food for thought

Every One Matters
Are you thinking that volunteering for Food For Thought might be fun and meaningful? Good! We always need extra hands and extra brains. It doesn't matter what your talents, skills, or hobbies are because we believe all of them matter! Here are some specific way to get involved, but we're interested in hearing new ideas, too!

Dollar Store Shopping
Do you love going to the dollar Store? There is a bunch of stuff there that is able to be used to take downtown. Plan a shopping trip with your friends to the dollar store to stock up on some of the much needed items, such as lip balm, individual tissue packs, tampons, toothbrushes, individually-wrapped snacks, and socks.

Rummage/Garage Sales
Do you love going garage saling? If you do, then we need your eyes to keep a look out for some items for us! The girls at the gospel mission are always in need of items to give out to the women that come in every night. Make sure items are gently used and in good condition. You’ll want to look for ladies’ over-sized sweatpants and shirts, ladies’ over-sized pajamas, bras, and blankets.

Clean out Family Linen Closets
Every week we are passing out tons of trial-size hygiene products. There are few places that the people downtown can go to get these items. We are one of the few that are able to pass them out. If you are one that does a lot of traveling and has a stock pile of trial-size stuff that you are not going to use, we know people that need it. Check your linen closets and medicine cabinets for the following items: travel-size shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and soap.

Online Auctions
Are you computer savvy? Certain online auction sites have a lot of large quantity lots of hotel size lotions, soaps and shampoo. Most of these lots sell for under $25.00 including shipping. This is a significantly cheaper way to buy trial-size products. Jump on-line and place a bid!!

Making Snack Bags
A lot of our friends downtown only eat once a day... this is when they check into a mission in the afternoon which they are fed dinner that night. In the morning before they leave they will get a toast and coffee breakfast... and that is it until dinner that night. We also have friends that do not go to the mission, and are always looking for a meal. One great thing that we are able to do is pass out snack bags to those who need them. The dollar stores and discount stores have really good prices on individually wrapped snack foods. In the past we have bought granola bars, applesauce packs, crackers, juices, protein bars... and put them into large sealable bags to pass out. The people in need were able to put them in their backpacks and use them throughout the day. You can really be creative with these bags... even placing a hand written note in them for encouragement!

Decorate Lunch Bags
We go though over 300 lunch bags a week. You don't know how much a decorated lunch bag means to the people we are serving downtown. On more than one occasion these adult homeless people were sitting at the library comparing the artwork on each others bags! They were talking about how special these people are that took the time to do this for them. It also opened up a door of conversation about their children & families. THIS IS HUGE! There are so many ways that you can decorate these bags... paint, glitter, cut out pictures, different painting techniques... the possibilities are endless.

Personal Notes for Bags
Do you have a gift of encouragement? It is an incredible thing to slip a note into a lunch, a snack bag or a backpack. Some of the people we are serving go days without a conversation. Some have told us that just a smile from someone else can change their whole day... imagine what a note of encouragement could do to get them though the week.

Making Cookies
There is just something about handing someone a homemade cookie! This speaks volumes… “someone took the time to make something for me.” It really make people feel special when they know that you took the time to do something like bake.

Knitting Gloves, Hats, Scarves or Throws
Break out your yarn... We are always stocking up and giving out hand knitted gloves, hats and scarves. Just another way of sharing something that you made with someone in need! Last winter we had someone donate some fleece, and we got several scarves, blankets and hats out of it!

Quilting Blanket
Do you have a special talent for quilting? We have built up a couple of closer relationships with people downtown that have moved from the streets to there own apartment. A handmade quilt is something we love to give those people we feel close to, who have now their own place to live. It’s an encouragement for them and a way to show them we support them and care.

Making Crafts for Gifts
Are you crafty? Do you like to make bookmarks, bracelets, and little gifts? It is such a sweet gesture to bring a little something special to the girls we visit at Rebekah’s Haven. If you love to make special gifts, and wanted to share them with the people downtown... we would love to do that with you!

Asking Dentist for Toothpaste Donations
If there is one thing that goes faster than anything else downtown it’s toothpaste! As soon as we have some, it is gone. We are in need of individuals to ask their dentist for donations of toothpaste samples.

Don’t Throw That Away!
Do you or does anyone in your family work somewhere where they are throwing stuff out because they can’t sell it? Food, clothes, supplies... A lot of restaurants & cafeterias throw perfectly good food out every night because they are not allowed to sell it the next day. Too much is going to waste!