To Make Them Smile!

We often hear on the news about the homeless.  More so this time of year whether it is because of the holiday spirit being in people's hearts or if they are more aware of the inclement weather that these people must live in.  More often than not, we take for granted having a roof over our heads and enough food to fill our bellies.  We need to be aware of this more often throughout the year.

Today my family once again participated in giving back to our community.  Ok, so technically, it is after midnight so we did it yesterday but you get the idea.  This has now become a monthly event around here and it's growing.  I wanted to write this as a follow up to my post last month about giving back.  To see this event, To Make Them Smile, (why not go give them a little love by 'liking' the page) grow as it has is heart-warming.  Last month we put together and passed out 30 bags of goodies, this month it was 100!  

One person had an idea.  She reached out to her friends for donations.  No one gave a lot but a lot of people gave a little.  Those little donations add up.  

These people (and more):

Donated this stuff (and more):

And filled these: 

And these:

It took about an hour to organize the work area and to not only fill the bags with socks, gloves, blankets, etc., but to also make the sandwiches and fill the baggies with fruits and veggies.  Everyone gathered together to make quick work of it, even the children.  

The children.  They are part of the reason that I wanted to write about this again.  We have children there of all ages from those who came in in strollers to those who are 17 and 18 years old.  They worked so hard.  And were so proud of themselves.  Instead of thinking that they're just kids, they were actually making a difference.  And they knew it!  They knew it.

The best part was seeing the kids handing out the bags with their parents.  Seeing children of all ages and from all walks of life showing compassion and giving back to those less fortunate.  

I found this picture to be so touching.  One small child handing a care package to a disabled homeless man.  This spoke to me because I know this child and he's quite uncomfortable around crowds and strangers but he was such a hard worker today.  He was filling bags like a pro and he didn't hesitate to take his bag to this person.  Peyton made made a difference.  And it made them both smile!

If you are in the Indianapolis community and would like to donate or participate in this, please go like the To Make Them Smile page and join us!  We have a lot of fun during the process of actually putting the bags together and will always welcome more help or donations!

If you are not in the Indianapolis community, find something to do in your area to give back.  Even if you don't have resources to donate, donate your time.  

Remember, sometimes, the littlest things make the biggest difference!