The idea of putting away an item per day in order to create care packages for the local homeless people started back in September of last year after seeing a post on Mary’s wall. I made an announcement on Facebook and 16 of my dear friends and family answered the call and sent me $387 in cash plus three large bags of toiletries.
Valentine’s Day is a day of love, perhaps is the best day to update you on that project. My dear friend Hooshang and I went shopping and filled the carts with items like apple, orange, banana, toothpaste, chocolate bar, protein bar, juice, beanie cap, and warm socks. Another dear relative, Farah, had donated a roll of bags which we used in creating 36 care packages.
I asked Hooshang if he would help me deliver the care packages to the homeless people. With a surprised expression and in a questioning tone he asked, “where are you gonna take these to.” Unfortunately, the answer I gave him was proven within the hour; ‘Just driving from here to the beach, all the packages will be gone.’ And gone, they were...
In all of my prior attempts, I had only encountered three people who did not accept the packages and this time, I came across 4 more such people who without even knowing what was in the package, respectfully declined to accept, though they did say “THANK YOU” (an added note for those who are not quite used to EXPRESSING verbal thanks when they should).
They were all so very thankful and showed their appreciation in different ways. One young woman immediately put on the socks and said, “I really needed this” and a man who had a twinkle in his eyes when he pulled out the orange and said, “I love fresh fruits and haven’t had an orange in a long time.”
Other than one young man who asked if I can give him some cash, no one else asked me for anything until THE LAST ONE. It was a seemingly middle-aged man who was laying down on a sheet and had a small blanket on him. He asked, “can you please get me a blanket from the local Goodwill store down the street?” How could I say no to that face, to that plea, to that desperation? I got him a brand new blanket and a thick warm sweater and when I returned to him, the expression of disbelief and the appreciation in his words and the tears in his eyes paid for all the time, energy, effort, and money that had gone into this little project.
So, putting two and two together, I approached 40 people in a stretch of about two miles and delivered the bags. I left the house with 36 packages that cost $300.28 and came home one million dollars richer and have $87 left for the next project. Happy Valentine’s Day.
PS. Original post on 9/29/18 http://nahzinikki.blogspot.com/2018/09/simple-challenge-put-away-one-item-per.html
