Bags of Hope

I know I'm running behind so let me get a few things up. I've been helping with a little ministry that has grown into a large ministry called Bags of Hope. Basically - and I'm certainly not doing it all the justice it deserves - is that there are children that have been abused and neglected living in places called Residential Treatment Facilities. They are just that - facilities. These children have such difficulties that they require around the clock care more than a home can provide. There is staff taking care of them, not loving parents. So a group of ladies wanted to make the transitio into these places a little nicer for kids, and started the Bags of Hope Ministry. The facilities that Bags of Hope support are some of the most amazing facilites out there. The staff treat the children with such care that I personally have witnessed amazing things happen. In these little bags the children get PJ's, toiletries, a stuffed animal, and a journal. The journals are hand crafted (so are the PJ's and bags) so that the children have a safe place to process everything that's going through their minds. Some use them to comunicate with their therapist. It's actualy an amazing idea. So some of the ladies from Homegrown have teamed up to help make journals - and I'm applogizing that I don't have pictures of their up here yet, but I'll work on that soon. So far as a team we've (HG ladies) made 10 of the 300 total journals needed for boys and girls. That's just cool that we're able to come together accross the country for these precious children. So here's a few pics to get you started.

The stash we use at our quarterly meeting to make journals.

Three of the journals people made.

The last quarter's meeting - this is what we started the night with. YEAH!!!

This is one f the one's I did - just for fun.

Mothers, daughters, sisters, friends - anyone can help make the journals. The lady standing up is the cordinator for the journal portion. Her daughter is helping make a journal.


Thank you to Marie P. and Michelle G. for sending books already. I look forward to what more we can do. Also - they are now accepting book marks and stationary sets for the kids as well.