A new community project, ‘Blessing Bags’, is striving to help Melbourne’s homeless.
Eighteen-year-old Skye resident, Laura Toole, founded the initiative on June 30 and has begun distributing bags filled with toiletries in the CBD this month.
Blessing Bag
“I go to university in the city and often walk past homeless people and always feel the longing to do something to help but I’m usually not sure what I can do,” Ms Toole said.
“Blessing bags answers this question for people, giving them a way to help homeless people that they may pass in their everyday life.”
The volunteers hand out bags at every opportunity, some carrying bags in a backpack everyday, approaching any homeless person they pass.
Of the 20 bags distributed to date, volunteers have received a positive response from all involved.
“The response has been beautiful,” Ms Toole said. “One of our volunteers took a homeless man out for lunch and handed him a bag, he said he was so grateful.”
“This particular man said it would be a great idea to add socks to the bags as this is something he really needs.”
One recipient was astonished by the bag, repeating to the giver: “Wow. I really, really, really need that.”
The program is currently funded by community donations and fundraisers, such as local sausage sizzles.
Blessing Bags are also calling for major beauty companies to help with contributions.
“We’re not putting any limits on it. We are optimistic that it can grow,” Ms Toole said.
The project’s motto, “Now that we’ve seen, we’re responsible”, aims to encourage residents and visitors to stop disregarding the homeless.
Handwritten notes are placed in every Blessing Bag.
Ms Toole is adamant Blessing Bags won’t be doing anything special to mark Homelessness Prevention Week in Melbourne.
“For homeless people it’s just another week. They might receive a bit more but next week everything will go back to normal,” she said.
“No matter how much advertising takes place people will forget and become ignorant again.
“People have great ideas but sometimes we have to just come back down to the simplicity of it and say, ‘What do the homeless need and what do they think?’”
Homelessness Australia spokesperson, Catherine Adcock, said every little bit helps.
“Homelessness services struggle to meet demand, so the community getting involved and fundraising and/or collecting donations can mean homelessness services can direct funds to other areas,” she said.
“Research (Homelessness Australia) has done has shown that the community thinks that solving homelessness is a joint responsibility.
“It is up to governments, individuals and the community as a whole to work together to end homelessness.”
Thanks so much for the amazing article Rochelle!