Whether you’re starting a new ministry or simply trying to ease the burden of someone you pass on your way to work, you may have wondered what to put in a homeless care package.
There aren’t really any hard and fast rules about what to include. However, when you work within some loose guidelines, you’ll end up with a package that’s both thoughtful and useful.
What to Put in a Homeless Care Package (That’s Actually Useful)
The whole point of creating a homeless care kit is to help people. And you can’t help people if you give them things they can’t use.
It’s a good idea to partner with local agencies when you’re making kits to see what the most requested items are, but there are a few basics that are generally accepted across the board.
Let’s take a look at what these can look like and how they make a huge difference in the experience of the recipient.
Items to Leave OUT of Care Packages for Unhoused People
Safety and usability are the two most important things you can consider when creating gifts of basic items to hand out to people. Here are some things to stay away from when creating your packages for the homeless community:
- Religious literature: I know you mean well, but don’t. It makes the gift look like you’re trying to earn brownie points for heaven and can come across as tacky. If you want to hand out religious literature, engage people in conversation and read the room, but truly, actions speak louder than words (or pamphlets) so I say to just leave them out.
- Bladed Objects: This feels pretty self-explanatory. It’s for their safety as much as anyone else’s. Not only that, it could be taken from them if they try to go to a warming/cooling center or overnight shelter.
- Items Containing Alcohol: Hand sanitizer and mouthwash tend to be big culprits. Keep people safe, and check labels before you make a purchase.
- Clothing items that aren’t that person’s size: This just creates unwanted burden. Stick to socks, which fit most people and call it a day.
Types of Homeless Care Packages That Make a Difference
While it’s easy to get carried away when it comes to creating your care packages for homeless people, try to consider that sometimes, “more is more.”
When you’re putting together care packages for homeless individuals, consider choosing a category of items to include. This prevents people from having to carry around a bunch of items they don’t need, and makes them more apt to accept your offer.
What to put in a Homeless Care Package: Hygiene Theme
One of the biggest challenges people face when living on the street is hygiene. Being able to have the comfort and dignity of feeling clean can go a long way when someone is unhoused. Here are some great items to include if you’re filling hygiene kits with personal hygiene items:
- Hand sanitizer (alcohol-free!!)
- Wet wipes or body wipes
- Individual laundry pods in a ziploc bag
- Quarters for the washing machine
- A fresh pair of clean socks
- Travel-sized shampoo and body wash
- Menstruation products
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Fingernail clippers
- Nail file
- Q-Tips
- Band-Aids and/or Blister patches
What to Put in a Homeless Care Package: Food and Drink Theme
Along with hygiene, staving off hunger is a big challenge for people who are unhoused. If you’re making care kits with a food and drink theme, keep the following in mind:
- Do not combine strongly scented (or ideally any) hygiene items with food
- Avoid hard-to-chew items or hard foods in general, as recipients may not have access to dental care and could be dealing with tooth issues
- Keep in mind that recipients probably won’t have access to a kitchen or place to easily warm their food
Here are some great ideas of items to put in a homeless care package for food and drink:
- Soft granola bars
- Pop-Tarts
- Beef Jerky – You’ll want to select the softer “nugget” variety that’s easier to chew!!
- Non-perishable food items that are ready to eat
- Single-serve peanut butter and crackers
- Gift cards to local fast food restaurants – Keep in mind area pricing, as the $5 minimum doesn’t go very far anymore
- Printed sheet of area micro-pantries or soup kitchens and their hours of operation
- Gift cards to local grocery stores that serve a hot meal
- Single-serve drink mix packets
- Pop-top single serve soup or chili or similar
Planning for the Seasons with Your Homeless Care Packages
If you don’t want to have to re-pack your kits each season, consider doing seasonal “add-on” kits. These can be paired with any of the above kits for a little extra care during harsh or extreme weather situations. Prep them in resealable plastic bags so you can “grab-and-go” when you’re headed out to share your kits with people.
What to Put in a Homeless Care Package in the Summer
Summer presents a slew of obstacles for people who are unhoused. Not only can the heat and sun be dangerous, but things like hot pavement can also cause burns, insect bites, allergies, and any number of other situations can make an already challenging time even worse.
Here are some things to consider doing as an add-on during the summer to help the people you’re serving stay as healthy as possible:
- Small broad-spectrum sunscreen
- Lip balm with SPF
- Reusable water bottle – can be filled at libraries or community centers
- Electrolyte packets – lots of people will give bottled water in the summer time, so these were very popular when I handed them out, because people like the variety
- Cooling towel or similar
- Hat and/or sunglasses
What to Put in a Homeless Care Package in the Winter
Winter months present their own set of challenges for people who are unhoused. From trying to stay warm, to chapped lips and skin, things that are an inconvenience to someone with stable housing can quickly turn into a hazard for someone who doesn’t have a place to go. Here are some specific items that can go in winter kits:
- New, warm socks
- Lip Balm
- Aquaphor or similar (can also double as lip balm, but helps with things like chapped noses without the burn!)
- Warm hat
- Gloves
- Single-Use hand warmers or foot warmers
- Hand lotion or body lotion
- Emergency thermal blankets (compact foil type)
Where to Distribute Care Packages for the Unhoused
The goal is always to get packages into the hands of people who need them. Sometimes, that means that you may want to go and hand packages out yourself, and other times, it may mean that you drop them at organizations already doing the work. Here are some places that may be looking for necessity bags to give to their participants.
Local Shelters or Mutual Aid Centers
A great way to know that your supplies are getting into the hands of a homeless person who can use them is by taking them to places that homeless people go, such as a local homeless shelter.
Homeless shelters, mutual aid centers, or community centers often accept blessing bags with essential items to hand out. It’s always best to check ahead and see if they have specific needs and whether they prefer assembled bags or loose supplies.
Schools
Sadly, many students are homeless or housing insecure. Checking with schools and talking with a nurse or guidance counselor may be an option for a place to send care packages. Just like when giving items to homeless shelters or community centers, check with the school and see whether they prefer assembled bags or loose supplies.
Some schools have “blessing closets” where students can come and select items themselves, so they may just need help stocking their blessing closet shelves.
Directly to People on the Street
Many churches and groups decide to go directly to the streets to hand out care packages as part of their ministry. While this is admirable, there are a few things to consider when taking this approach.
Make sure your group is well-versed in how to approach people in a dignified way. Here are some things to go over before hitting the streets:
- Don’t force an interaction, conversation, religious discussion, or otherwise
- If someone doesn’t want what you’re offering, wish them a nice day and move on
- Remember that you are talking to people in a vulnerable situation. Approach them with an understanding that they may be suspicious of you.
- NEVER film recipients when you’re handing out supplies. Give people their privacy. Additionally, you never know when you’re encountering someone who may be hiding from a potentially dangerous situation, and you don’t want to expose them to harm
- When posting about the ministry, do not post names, photos of recipients, or their personal stories
- Don’t approach people when they are sleeping
Things that you SHOULD do when connecting with people directly:
- Greet them warmly, let them know your name, and that you have some care packages that you’re handing out. Ask if they would like one. You can let them know the type of package you’re handing out at that time.
- Read the room. If it seems like they’re up for a conversation, go for it. That said, don’t ask personal or prying questions.
- Share resources with them if they seem interested in something you have to offer
What to Put in a Homeless Care Package? The Things That Will Give People Comfort and Dignity
At the end of the day, putting together blessing bags is about providing people with some dignity. You’re making a real difference to someone who most people have either forgotten or, worse, look upon with judgment.
Whether you’re providing some protein bars in a ziplock bag or a first aid kit for summer ailments, you’re improving the quality of life for a fellow human being, When sharing these basic necessities, always remember to keep the focus on the person you’re serving, and in the end, you’ll know that one small act can give a stranger a bit of hope.