Bag Ladies Come In All Ages, Shapes, Sizes, Colors
-- and Sexes!
This is a great way to involve members of your congregation--and community--across the spectrum. We have teenagers, men, younger and older folks, and volunteers representing six various churches in our city of Jacksonville, Florida!
Even though the Bag Ladies of Lakewood Presbyterian Church make Welcome Bags for children being sheltered from abusive situations, remember that your organization could start a Welcome Bag project to provide comfort for women in abuse shelters, or men, women, and children who are in other community shelters. Some of these alternate missions offer short-time shelter for homeless families, or long-time counseling to assist drug or alcohol addicts kick their addictions, clean up their lives, and become useful citizens.
Welcome Bags for those individuals would include other, adult, items—but would be very much appreciated by the recipients.
To get started, locate the nearest abuse shelter and contact someone in charge. Ask whether a Welcome Bag outreach would be helpful to victims, and what should be included in each bag. Ask permission from your church to organize a Bag Lady group, and ask for volunteers through the use of announcements in Sunday bulletins, church newsletters, prayer chains, or other means.
If you have regular weekly church dinners with programs following, you might put together a presentation, inviting a shelter representative to speak, giving information about the organization you want to support, and showing samples of what you intend to include in your Welcome Bags.
Ask for volunteers, stressing that every Bag Lady need not know how to sew. They (men and young people, too) can cut fringe on fleece pillows, roll towels, fill toiletries baggies, or perform any variety of services.
Below, you will see our suggestions for “How To Start A Bag Lady Group In Your Own Home Town” to show you how we proceeded with our mission.
First, "Sew" Your Seeds, Then
Wait And Watch Them Flourish
The first step is always forming your group—and identifying the needs you will fulfill. Contact your local shelters, speak with the directors, and ask whether an ongoing supply of Welcome
Bags will be welcome.
We chose to reach out to children—the most innocent victims—at our local abuse shelter. Other churches in our community learned of our project and began to provide Welcome Bags to women at the same shelter.
However, Welcome Bags can also provide comfort to men—as well as women and children—who have taken refuge in homeless shelters. Don’t limit where you “sew” your seeds.
Most shelters will have a public relations person on staff, who can be helpful in publicizing your project—especially if they are operated as Christian shelters, and do not wish to take government money, which could limit their religious efforts.
After you have been established as a working group, contact the Religion Editor of your local newspaper to explain what you are doing, why your outreach is needed, and the response of the organization to your efforts. An article written about our Bag Ladies resulted in new volunteers from churches of five other denominations—making us truly ecumenical!
Facebook, YouTube, Craig’s List, and other media sites can be used to recruit new volunteers, gain donations, and help to establish your group’s successful ongoing outreach to others.
Do not be discouraged! You could get off to a slow start, and early financing might be difficult. But if you can only manage to deliver five bags a month to a shelter, you will have touched five lives who need to know somebody cares.
What’s In A Name?
We call ourselves the Bag Ladies, because we were originally a group of women who just happened to come together to make Welcome Bags. Since our first meeting, two men and three teenaged boys have joined our group, and we often call them the “Bag Boys,” or “Bag Dudes.”
Other“sister” groups have formed in our community, and—in an effort to differentiate themselves—they have given their groups other names. However, we ask that you give your most thoughtful consideration to calling yourselves “Bag Ladies,” and for good reason.
Imagine that McDonalds franchise owners decided to name their hamburger drive-ins by names such as “Bob’s Burger Barn” or “Harry’s Hamburger Heaven.” They might all follow McDonalds' practices, but there would be no national (or even international) recognition—which could impact their success.
If you name your group The Bag Ladies of ???? Church, you will not only be helping to create national awareness of this outreach, but you will also, in effect, be copyrighting your name—because how many other groups could use it?
Here are logos for you to use. Just substitute your church’s name (or other sponsoring group) for "Lakewood Presbyterian Church," and use it for all your publications. If you don't know how to do this, ask your teenaged grandson to help. That's what I did!
Wait And Watch Them Flourish
The first step is always forming your group—and identifying the needs you will fulfill. Contact your local shelters, speak with the directors, and ask whether an ongoing supply of Welcome
Bags will be welcome.
We chose to reach out to children—the most innocent victims—at our local abuse shelter. Other churches in our community learned of our project and began to provide Welcome Bags to women at the same shelter.
However, Welcome Bags can also provide comfort to men—as well as women and children—who have taken refuge in homeless shelters. Don’t limit where you “sew” your seeds.
Most shelters will have a public relations person on staff, who can be helpful in publicizing your project—especially if they are operated as Christian shelters, and do not wish to take government money, which could limit their religious efforts.
After you have been established as a working group, contact the Religion Editor of your local newspaper to explain what you are doing, why your outreach is needed, and the response of the organization to your efforts. An article written about our Bag Ladies resulted in new volunteers from churches of five other denominations—making us truly ecumenical!
Facebook, YouTube, Craig’s List, and other media sites can be used to recruit new volunteers, gain donations, and help to establish your group’s successful ongoing outreach to others.
Do not be discouraged! You could get off to a slow start, and early financing might be difficult. But if you can only manage to deliver five bags a month to a shelter, you will have touched five lives who need to know somebody cares.
What’s In A Name?
We call ourselves the Bag Ladies, because we were originally a group of women who just happened to come together to make Welcome Bags. Since our first meeting, two men and three teenaged boys have joined our group, and we often call them the “Bag Boys,” or “Bag Dudes.”
Other“sister” groups have formed in our community, and—in an effort to differentiate themselves—they have given their groups other names. However, we ask that you give your most thoughtful consideration to calling yourselves “Bag Ladies,” and for good reason.
Imagine that McDonalds franchise owners decided to name their hamburger drive-ins by names such as “Bob’s Burger Barn” or “Harry’s Hamburger Heaven.” They might all follow McDonalds' practices, but there would be no national (or even international) recognition—which could impact their success.
If you name your group The Bag Ladies of ???? Church, you will not only be helping to create national awareness of this outreach, but you will also, in effect, be copyrighting your name—because how many other groups could use it?
Here are logos for you to use. Just substitute your church’s name (or other sponsoring group) for "Lakewood Presbyterian Church," and use it for all your publications. If you don't know how to do this, ask your teenaged grandson to help. That's what I did!
How To Make A Welcome Bag
You might choose a pattern of your own, or you might opt to buy inexpensive, already made tote bags. We make our own drawstring bags because we like to use a variety of brightly colored, kid-friendly fabrics.
We also use double drawstrings so the bags will close easily. And also because we learned that the children who receive our bags often put their arms through the double drawstring loops and use the bags as backpacks. One yard of fabric will make two Welcome Bags. Just follow these steps:
1. Lay the yard of fabric out with selvage edges together.
2. Cut two layers of strips about 1-1/2” wide all along the selvage edge, giving you four 36” long strips.
3. Cut the remaining fabric into two equal lengths of 18”,with the folded edge along the bottom.
4. Fold edges of each long strip to meet in the middle, then fold again and
topstitch. This will make four long drawstrings.
5. Cut a half-inch notch on each of the cut sides of fabric, about 3” down from the top edge. Fold these edges in and stitch.
6. Fold the top 3” of fabric down halfway and sew to make a casing.
Repeat on the other end of the fabric.
7. Fold the right sides of fabric together and stitch down each side, leaving the casings open at the top.
8. Thread one drawstring in from the right-hand side, and all the way around. Thread the other drawstring in from the left-hand side and all the way around. Tie ends of drawstrings together. When you pull them, the bag will close.
You might choose a pattern of your own, or you might opt to buy inexpensive, already made tote bags. We make our own drawstring bags because we like to use a variety of brightly colored, kid-friendly fabrics.
We also use double drawstrings so the bags will close easily. And also because we learned that the children who receive our bags often put their arms through the double drawstring loops and use the bags as backpacks. One yard of fabric will make two Welcome Bags. Just follow these steps:
1. Lay the yard of fabric out with selvage edges together.
2. Cut two layers of strips about 1-1/2” wide all along the selvage edge, giving you four 36” long strips.
3. Cut the remaining fabric into two equal lengths of 18”,with the folded edge along the bottom.
4. Fold edges of each long strip to meet in the middle, then fold again and
topstitch. This will make four long drawstrings.
5. Cut a half-inch notch on each of the cut sides of fabric, about 3” down from the top edge. Fold these edges in and stitch.
6. Fold the top 3” of fabric down halfway and sew to make a casing.
Repeat on the other end of the fabric.
7. Fold the right sides of fabric together and stitch down each side, leaving the casings open at the top.
8. Thread one drawstring in from the right-hand side, and all the way around. Thread the other drawstring in from the left-hand side and all the way around. Tie ends of drawstrings together. When you pull them, the bag will close.
What Stuff Is In The Bags, And
Where Do You Get It?
Each of our Welcome Bags contains: A towel, washcloth, baggie filled with toiletries, mini-flashlight on a cord, coloring book and crayons, story book, snack, Beanie Baby, and a fleece cuddle pillow. We use a tax-free card from our church when shopping in order to avoid paying taxes on our purchases.
Here’s where we obtain our supplies—we hope you will be successful in finding bargains—and donors.
Ask friends who collected Beanie Babies to give them to you for adoption by a child in crisis, and ask for discounts from store managers—you might be surprised at their generosity.
1. Towels are $1.97 at a local Walmart, although prices may vary from location to location. It is also possible to order bulk towels from online sources.
2. Washcloths can be found at Walmart in packs of 18 for about $4
3. Toiletries baggies contain soap, shampoo, comb, toothpaste, and toothbrush. Ask friends (and your dentist) to donate items. Or you can order small sizes from Minimus.biz. Dollar Tree has combs at 12 for $1. Or ask a local medical facility or medical supply house to donate some of these items.
4. Mini flashlights on a cord come from Oriental Trading.com, at a price of $7 for a dozen.
5. AA flashlight batteries are 8 for $1 at Dollar Tree.
6. Coloring books and small packs of crayons are ordered from online sources. Colorful small boxes of crayons are also available at Dollar Tree--three for $1. Or ask local merchants for donations.
7. Beanie Babies are donated (for adoption) by collectors
8. Snacks can be purchased at B.J.’s—50 bags for $11.49.
9. Cuddle pillows (cut two squares of fleece, then cut 2” fringes around the edges, tie top and bottom fringes together with knots—leaving an opening—and stuff with fiberfill) are made with fleece purchased when on sale from JoAnn Fabric or local fabric stores.
10. Children’s books are donated. Ask your friends or schools. Review books to be sure they are appropriate for children from abusive situations.
11. Love goes into each bag at no extra charge.
Where Do You Get It?
Each of our Welcome Bags contains: A towel, washcloth, baggie filled with toiletries, mini-flashlight on a cord, coloring book and crayons, story book, snack, Beanie Baby, and a fleece cuddle pillow. We use a tax-free card from our church when shopping in order to avoid paying taxes on our purchases.
Here’s where we obtain our supplies—we hope you will be successful in finding bargains—and donors.
Ask friends who collected Beanie Babies to give them to you for adoption by a child in crisis, and ask for discounts from store managers—you might be surprised at their generosity.
1. Towels are $1.97 at a local Walmart, although prices may vary from location to location. It is also possible to order bulk towels from online sources.
2. Washcloths can be found at Walmart in packs of 18 for about $4
3. Toiletries baggies contain soap, shampoo, comb, toothpaste, and toothbrush. Ask friends (and your dentist) to donate items. Or you can order small sizes from Minimus.biz. Dollar Tree has combs at 12 for $1. Or ask a local medical facility or medical supply house to donate some of these items.
4. Mini flashlights on a cord come from Oriental Trading.com, at a price of $7 for a dozen.
5. AA flashlight batteries are 8 for $1 at Dollar Tree.
6. Coloring books and small packs of crayons are ordered from online sources. Colorful small boxes of crayons are also available at Dollar Tree--three for $1. Or ask local merchants for donations.
7. Beanie Babies are donated (for adoption) by collectors
8. Snacks can be purchased at B.J.’s—50 bags for $11.49.
9. Cuddle pillows (cut two squares of fleece, then cut 2” fringes around the edges, tie top and bottom fringes together with knots—leaving an opening—and stuff with fiberfill) are made with fleece purchased when on sale from JoAnn Fabric or local fabric stores.
10. Children’s books are donated. Ask your friends or schools. Review books to be sure they are appropriate for children from abusive situations.
11. Love goes into each bag at no extra charge.
Always Say "Thank You!"
Once people begin to hear about your Bag Lady group, and learn how you are reaching out to people in crisis they will want to help support your project in some concrete way.
Some people will give money to buy supplies. Some will donate the supplies themselves. Some gifts will be as small as a $1 bill, while others could be as large as an amazing, and very unexpected, $2,000 check!
Every donor deserves an acknowledgement of his or her gift no matter how big or little.
You can create your own letterhead by adapting and using the logos shown above and use it for your thank-you letters to supporters.
Some friends will make automatic monthly donations through their banks. We usually acknowledge these ongoing gifts with an email—but they are always acknowledged! Don’t take your generous givers for granted.
Also, be sure to have your church treasurer set up a line-item account for your Bag Ladies so that every penny of income and outgo can be accounted for. If your church has a credit card, you can use that, or for convenience you could use a personal credit card and turn in all receipts for
reimbursement.
Keep a list of your donors and their addresses so you can invite them to a "thank-you" celebration from time to time. On January 11, 2014, our Bag Lady group will host our supporters at a salad and dessert buffet luncheon. We celebrate our sixth birthday, the delivery of 3,240 Welcome Bags, and our gratitude to our faithful donors. What a wonderful day!
Once people begin to hear about your Bag Lady group, and learn how you are reaching out to people in crisis they will want to help support your project in some concrete way.
Some people will give money to buy supplies. Some will donate the supplies themselves. Some gifts will be as small as a $1 bill, while others could be as large as an amazing, and very unexpected, $2,000 check!
Every donor deserves an acknowledgement of his or her gift no matter how big or little.
You can create your own letterhead by adapting and using the logos shown above and use it for your thank-you letters to supporters.
Some friends will make automatic monthly donations through their banks. We usually acknowledge these ongoing gifts with an email—but they are always acknowledged! Don’t take your generous givers for granted.
Also, be sure to have your church treasurer set up a line-item account for your Bag Ladies so that every penny of income and outgo can be accounted for. If your church has a credit card, you can use that, or for convenience you could use a personal credit card and turn in all receipts for
reimbursement.
Keep a list of your donors and their addresses so you can invite them to a "thank-you" celebration from time to time. On January 11, 2014, our Bag Lady group will host our supporters at a salad and dessert buffet luncheon. We celebrate our sixth birthday, the delivery of 3,240 Welcome Bags, and our gratitude to our faithful donors. What a wonderful day!