Thanksgiving 2024
Matthew 25:35 “For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.”
Count Your Blessings
Thanksgiving is only a few days away. Most of us will gather with friends or family for a wonderful thanksgiving feast of turkey, dressing, pecan pie, and all the trimmings. We will spend time visiting with loved ones, eating, maybe watching parades and football, but most importantly, taking a moment to reflect on our many blessings.
Sadly, for those that are homeless it’s just another day on the streets. The lucky ones may enjoy thanksgiving dinner at a shelter on that day, but what about the other 364 days of the year?
A Dallas Morning News front page article dated, November 16, 2024, highlights homelessness cost at $193 million dollars per year. This estimate is based on 4,410 homeless people living in Dallas and Collin counties. Wow! That is more than $43,000 per person! The article goes on to say that 75% ($143,000,000) is for healthcare.
Homelessness is not an easy problem to solve, but I believe we can do a better job. Affordable housing is the first step that allows people the opportunity to maintain a regular job, and most importantly a healthier lifestyle. Living on the streets is brutal and can reduce a person’s life expectancy by as much as twenty years.
Blessed to Bless!
The first bottle of water was given to a homeless man six years ago. By the end of this year, we will have distributed more than 23,000 bottles to our homeless brothers and sisters.
Bob’s Bags is a self-supporting ministry with a primary mission of serving those who are homeless, unsheltered, and underserved.
God has blessed this ministry with a host of volunteers and caring donors.
This year we will serve more than 1300 individuals. We will be providing short-term relief of food, water, personal care, and safety items to each person. In 2024, our homeless brothers and sisters received benefit from more than 5,000 articles of donated clothing and shoes, and blankets
The ministry will spend approximately $36,000 this year to purchase bag supplies, socks, and new underwear. As the cost of goods continues to increase, we use our available funds to purchase items that are most needy. It’s a struggle at times, but we will continue to serve the best we can.
Our prayer is that you will consider supporting this ministry financially. Five dollars will purchase 50 bottles of water. Our homeless friends are desperate for clothing. We appreciate donations of gently worn clothing (pants, shorts, shirts, tops, sweats, jackets, coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and bras), shoes (suitable for outdoor), blankets, and sleeping bags.
More than just handing out a bag!
Team member Jason Higgins shares this story:
I had the opportunity to meet Jody, and his dog, when delivering Bob’s Bags last week. As I introduced myself, I asked Jody if there was something he needed me to pray for. He informed me he was 6 days sober. I feel like God used me like a pawn on a chessboard and placed me right there at that moment to share my son’s story with him. I told him that I had lost Noah 6 months ago to fentanyl poisoning and our discussion immediately changed. Instead of me being there to help Jody, he started asking me questions about Noah. He then asked how I was functioning after experiencing such a devastating loss like that. After talking about it for a few more minutes, he asked if I had a picture of Noah. I pulled my phone out and showed him a few pictures of Noah and I. He looked at me and said, “I’m going to keep fighting for my sobriety for Noah”. As soon as he said that his dog, which had been lying at his feet the whole time while we talked, stood up and started barking and jumping up at his chest. We felt Noah’s presence in that moment.
Delivering Bob’s Bags gives us the opportunity to really meet our brothers and sisters and learn so much about them and their challenges. God is using all of us to not only help those living on the streets with fundamental things that they need, but also to show that we genuinely love them and care about them. This ministry is also helping us more than we know. God knows that I need to share Noah’s story as part of my grieving process and he put Jody, and his dog, in my path to do just that.
Jason and Noah
A 2019 Bob’s Bags outreach with Noah sharing with a homeless man.
Bob Cawthon shares this story:
I received a call this past week from Gary McGough asking for help. He is a team rep with the Regional Care Team, a non-profit that assists people in crises. A couple had lost everything they had in a house fire and desperately needed clothing.
Gary brought Robert and Barbara to the church the next morning where I was able to meet with them. Robert had worked for a family on a large estate and lived in a home behind the property for the past 51 years. There was a fire at that home, and it burned completely to the ground. Robert and Barbara lost all their earthly belongings.
The Care Team assisted with temporary housing, and we were able to assist with food, clothing, and personal care items.
I helped carry all the items outside where they were loaded into a vehicle that would take them to their temporary housing. As we were chatting, Barbara said, “Can we pray”? I said of course, and before I could open my mouth, she started praying a sweet prayer of thanks. I closed with a prayer and a hug!
This ministry is more than just handing out bags. We have many opportunities to share God’s love, with compassion, concern, and caring.
We greatly appreciate you and we thank you for helping us help others.
Robert, Bob, Barbara with a cart full of needed supplies.