Emergency Storm Boxes

Spring is storm season and the last few years have been terribly active.  Tornados, floods, thunderstorms involving hail and high winds and of course electrical outages.  This can be terrifying for those living alone, especially those who are elderly or handicapped in some way. 

The federal agencies asks us all to be prepared for emergencies: 

* buy extra batteries,

* have an escape route,

* stock non-perishable food items

* stock up on bottled water

* have extra flashlights

* Stock up on candles and a lighter

* purchase a weather radio, etc.

These plans are very important to all of us but we never seem to think about them until it is too late.

Now imagine if you are elderly and living alone or have a physical or mental disability and are also able to live alone.  Are they prepared in the case of an emergency?  Probably not.

So why not take this as a family project one month.  Spring is the perfect time to do this because thunderstorms are common place and are in the forefront of people’s mind.

The instruction sheet below gives simple instructions on how to do this project.  It also provides you with a verse that you can either include in the box; use in talking to your family about as you do this project; or even something to share with the person to whom you are delivering the box.  So, download the printable and do something that will bring a little more peace to someone living alone.

Emergency Boxes

Photo image by: FreeDigitalPhotos.net                                                                        Photographer: Suvro Datta

First Aid Kits For Homeless

A first aid kit is something that you do not think about until you need it.  I know first hand because I was the first one to need our first aid kit at work and it had been there for almost 3 years. Leave it to me.

First aid kits are SO easy to put together and can be as frugal as what you want them to be.

They are GREAT projects for a family or just a single person wanting to help.

There are great for mission trips.  Wouldn't these have come in handy to give out while groups were in Haiti?  The homeless sometimes have trouble with blisters or just small scrapes and cuts.  These are wonderful to donate to local shelters or hand them out yourself!

I'm going to upload a little instruction sheet for you to use when doing this project.  Remember these instruction sheets would be great to use in a Sunday School class, Wednesday night Bible study or even a Girl or Boy Scout meeting.


First Aid Kits


Here are some of the items that can be included in a compact First Aid Kit.

Remember the kits need to be compact so they can be stored in tight places.


The kits also need to be placed in something waterproof, sturdy and flat.  Here are some ideas:

The photo above shows the most frugal (Freezer zip baggie) and 2 types of pencil bags.  The tape just signals the person that it is a First Aid Kit.

This next photo shows that the items are chosen so they will easily fit in into the bag.  Those who are homeless do not have the space to carry something bulky around with them.  As you see in this photo below, the cough drops are taken out of the original package to save space.

Take this idea and involve your family, your scout troup, your Sunday School class or just yourself to show God's love to others by asissting them with practical needs.

Plastic Mats from Plastic Bags

Do you love to crochet? Well, I have the coolest project for you!


My mom told me about her youth group at church getting involved in making mats from recycled plastic grocery bags and I just had to research it because it sounded amazing. Great, Great Missions projects for Homeless and for countries like Haiti.


Let me just tell you that it only requires a large crochet needle, a pair of scissors and LOTS of recycled plastic grocery bags. The end result is a plastic mat that can be given to the homeless or sent to countries, such as Haiti, through mission teams.


The easiest way to introduce this craft is to embed this video tutorial. Watch this wonderful lady as she describes how to make this plastic mat.







If you would like a printed version of the instructions the Lutheran Church Charities  have placed a PDF of their instructions online.  It is available for download to anyone.  Thanks to all of these wonderful people for passing on the instructions for the great project.


What a Great way to get the Senior ladies group involved in missions without ever leaving their home.


Try it!

God's Little Garden: Tomatoes

We love this project - it really is fun whether you have a green thumb or a black one.


Take one Tomato plant, give it a little love and care, and as God brings the harvest you will donate it to those in need.  There is a couple of great lessons for children in this project.  You do what you know to do (like water the plant) but God is the one in charge of creating the fruit.


If you have never printed a "Scribd" document before here are a few tips:

• You can Download it and save it to your desktop to print.
• You can click on the title of the document and it will take you to the Scribd site and you can print from there, or
• You can just click print from this post but you need to remember that it will only print the page you see.  You will need to print, then scroll down to the next page and print that page also.   

So use the tips to print both pages of the Instruction sheet below.  This will give you a creative way of using the harvest that only God can bring to touch someone in need.


God's Garden Tomatoes


Here is an example of one of the packages. 

Don't look too closely and don't laugh but the "tomatoes" inside are actually my "tomato shaped pin cushions" (Remember it's only April and my tomatoes aren't growing yet).

Have fun!