iCARE Kit v2.0

And… after much anticipation, it is finally here! The newly expanded, and revised iCARE4Homeless Kit v2.0.  What’s the difference between version 1.0 and 2.0? In addition to toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap/bodywash, lotion, and a facial towel, the following items are now included:

(1) Inspirational Motivational Card, containing a breath-taking image of the Grand Canyon or a cute puppy, an inspirational quote, and a list of important contact information/phone numbers for helping the homeless find shelter homes & hospitals, places for obtaining food, and access to health-care
(2) A Kid-size Snack, such as Grahams Crackers & Oreos Cookies
(3) Chapstick – To prevent dry lips, especially in the dry & cold seasons
(4) A T-Shirt – The clothes the homeless wear often become ragged and unkempt in several days. One T-Shirt can help them tremendously, especially during San Diego’s chilly nights.

Although this means more expense towards assembling my kit, I think these extra items will really help the homeless children & families.

A snack to munch on, chapstick for maintaining the condition of the lips due to extremely dry weather, and a T-Shirt to keep warm! And, last but not least, an inspirational card to cheer up the homeless during tough times like this!

If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment!

Enriching their lives…

A 6 years old, maybe? Clad in a white sleeveless shirt & brown overalls, with no socks or shoes, this homeless child is staring at a board (a game, perhaps?), while his relatives play in the background, on what appears to be a disarrayed bed-frame. The four-year old plays with the bed-frame, while the other stares adrift, dangling his feet above the bedpost. They appear to be having fun. Their feet are ‘muddied’ up a bit, from walking bare-feet on the streets . Their clothes, on the other hand, appear to be in “good” condition. But, like any image, this is completely deceptive of reality.  They are making the most of their childhood, simply by “getting by.”

But, not all childhoods are like this… Is what they are doing really ‘fun’? Most children nowadays have fun reading The Hunger Games/Harry Potter series, watching the latest Sponge-bob Squarepants on the Disney Channel, and playing the latest videogames on their Nintendo or Playstation game consoles. After closer examination, I conclude that what appears to be an empty bedframe may actually be their ‘home.’

I have some questions, though. When was the last time they had breakfast or dinner? In 10 days, will those shirts still be that clean? Or, will they be as ragged and torn-up as a ship lost in a tempestuous sea? What about their hygiene and personal health? When was the last time they brushed or flossed their teeth? Are these homeless children attending school and learning how to read and write?

Things that you and I take for granted… are what these children are missing in their lives.

Situations like this really strike a chord in my heart and inspire me to help as many homeless children & families as possible. If my iCARE Campaign has the potential to start a ripple in transforming the lives of the homeless, then my goal will be accomplished!

Enriching the lives of homeless children like those in the picture… is worth more than a thousand words.

NIVEA Lotion Bottles!!

Is today my birthday? No, but it sure feels like it…. You know that warm feeling you receive when you open a present? Like a kid opening the gift wrap to a box big enough to contain the latest Hi-Def 50 inch television display, I felt giddy and anxious at the sight of a brown package at my door step.

Well, guess what I received? Another donation box!!! This marks the SECOND package I have acquired this week alone. Cheers to what the future holds for iCARE4Homeless.

Inside was a letter, stating:

On behalf of Beiersdorf Inc., I am pleased to be able to contribute some of our NIVEA as you requested.

We certainly wish you luck and success with your upcoming event.

Enclosed inside the box were 12 NIVEA Extended Moisture Samples and 12 Creme 1 oz tin cans. A total of TWENTY-FOUR lotion bottle donations!!! “WOW,” is all I can say. Who would have thought that the global skin care company that produces the lotion bottles that you and I use on a daily basis would contribute to MY cause?

Their sample donation really means a lot to me and I sincerely appreciate their support!

“The place he considered home”

The man to the left seems like an affable and friendly person, right? His name is Peter Bis. Upon closer inspection, you can see a series of bags containing miscellaneous personal items, all stashed upon a cart. He is wearing a large coat covering what seems to be a black t-shirt, while also drinking his favorite beverage from what appears to be a coffee cup.  Sitting on this bench, he probably considered this street his “home.”

From the 5 seconds you spent looking at that picture, you probably deduced that he is a homeless man due to his unkempt hair and ragged clothes. You are correct!

But… did you know that he graduated Western Michigan University with a Bachelor’s degree in History and continued on to Law School. After his first year, he even started a car-painting company and worked shifts as a hotel night clerk. Amazing!!

Peter Bis, who lived on the streets near Union Station (Capitol Hill in Washington), recently died of a heart attack at age 61. A shrine can now be found around the base of the tree where he has held his ‘home’ for the past decade.

He was a very cheery man (diagnosed with schizophrenia) who always greeted strangers and had made himself known throughout the community.

Taken from the Washington Post Article:

Peter was a “harmless kind of schizophrenic,” his brother said, who rarely lost his temper but also avoided getting help for his condition.

“He never drank alcohol or took drugs,” James Bis said. “He just smoked cigarettes and drank coffee and thought he was from another planet.”

Peter Bis became well-known as a homeless guy who never asked for money, although he gratefully accepted bagels, leftovers and free coffee from hundreds of sidewalk benefactors.

I wish his family and anyone who knew him blessings and all of my condolescences.

Maybe, if he had gone to the hospital sooner, he may not have experienced a heart attack and would still be alive.

It is my hope and goal that the homeless community will have better access to healthcare and medical treatments to prevent circumstances and dire situations like this.

Information & full article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/capitol-hill-grieves-for-homeless-man-who-was-neighborhood-fixture/2012/08/21/1395b668-ebc8-11e1-b811-09036bcb182b_story_1.html

Image Copyright:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/capitol-hill-grieves-for-homeless-man-who-was-neighborhood-fixture/2012/08/21/1395b668-ebc8-11e1-b811-09036bcb182b_story_1.html

Thank you to Green Suites!!!

Today, I received in the mail a donation box from Green Suites Hotel  Solutions. It looked like a typical package, and I wasn’t sure what I would find inside. On the outside were two especially visible bright orange stickers, stating, “Fragile, HANDLE WITH CARE.” The sight of these two stickers had my heart pounding a little faster.

After all, what package would contain something ‘fragile’? Not a book, right? Perhaps… But, why would I order a book from Green Suites? Unless, it was…. I couldn’t contain my excitement. I thought, “This has to be for my iCARE Campaign!!” After a minute of scrambling to find a pair of scissors and a knife to undo the tape, I opened the package. Lo and behold, this extravagant fragment smell of Citrus, Papaya, Fruits, & Coconut smell arose from the package.

Inside was an assortment of Green Suites’ wonderful Personal Care Amenities:
(1) 6 Citrus Medley Bath Bars
(2) 6 Bathe Soaps
(3) 3 PAYA Organics Conditioning Shampoo
(4) 4 PAYA Organics Bath Bars
(5) 3 PAYA Organics Conditioner
(6) 1 PAYA Lotion Bottle
(7) 3 Bathe Body Balm, Shampoo, Conditioner
(8) 6 Citrus Medley Face Bars
(9) 1 PAYA Shower Gel Bottle
(10) 5 (15g 0.5 Oz) Natural Earth Body Soap: Manuka Honey & Harakeke Oil
(11) 1 Natural Earth Body Soap (20g, 0.7 oz)
(12) 1 Natural Earth Shampoo: Manuka Honey & Harakeke Oil
(13) 1 Natural Earth Conditioner
(14) 1 Natural Earth Moisturiser: Pure New Zealand Active Manuka Honey
(15) 1 PAYA Face & Body Bar
(16) 1 Natural Earth Body Soap
(17) 1 Natural Earth Bath & Shower Gel
(18) 1 Bag of Beans 🙂
Total Count = 45 Donations

Green Suites donated a total of 45 items (Shampoos, Body Soaps, Lotion, Conditioner, Moisturiser, and Bath Bars) to my campaign!! I especially liked the bag of beans they added to the package: “No Beans about it, WE LOVE OUR CUSTOMERS!” That made me smile!! 🙂

Who knew that so many items could fit within a 12 in x 12 in x1 in box? I didn’t.

I would like to say a huge thank-you to Cole Wilcox of Green Suites for being so kind and donating these supplies to iCARE4Homeless. Without their help, I would not be in such a happy mood as I am right now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!  It really means a lot and I am one step closer toward fulfilling my goal!
Be sure to check out their website at:
http://www.greensuites.com/Environmentally-Friendly-Hotel-Supplies/Green-Amenities-Eco-friendly-Hotel-Amenities

Update!

First and foremost, I would like to say a tremendous thank-you to Father Joe’s Village for helping my with my campaign and donating as many items as possible to my campaign!!

On Wednesday (August 15, 2012), Father Joe’s Village graciously  donated an assortment of ~200 towels, soap, bodywash, socks, and toothbrush/toothpaste toward my campaign. I did not think I would receive so many donations and came unprepared when I arrived at their warehouse. All the boxes completely filled my car. Any towels that couldn’t fit into the car were ‘stuffed’ around the edges of the boxes and on the back of the seats. They formed neverending piles of towels that could be seen from my rear-view mirror as I drove on the freeway. It is an image you have to see for yourself!  Imagine this – a two-door car, filled all the way in the back with TOWELS!!

As soon as I popped the trunk to unload the goodies at my house, the towels completely fell to the ground. After 15 minutes of unloading, a collection of boxes, towels, toothbrushes, and bodywash could be seen occupying their own niche in my living room!

I am one step closer toward reaching my goal of helping at least 200 homeless Americans. I might even be able to assemble as many as 500 kits, a goal I only dreamed of reaching!!

I am in the process of assembling my iCARE Kits and will post pictures as soon as possible.

If you are interested in helping out, please check out “How to Help” and be sure to spread the word!!

A Fully Assembled Kit!

After having purchased several items, I have assembled my first iCARE Kit. To reduce costs, I am replacing the tote bag with a ziplock bag and am no longer including chapstick or socks. The kit below includes a comb, facial towel, toothbrush & toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and lotion.

Inspirational Card

I am now including an inspirational quote with every kit I am assembling. See above image for a sample!

Charitable Causes

I have created a new section for Related Causes. If you know any similar blog, website, or campaign that is focused toward charitable events and helping the community as a whole, please let me know and leave a comment! As I stumble upon other similar causes, I will add them there, so stay tuned! 🙂

– iCARE4Homeless

Isaiah 58:7

“I want to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes.  Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.”     ISAIAH 58:7