Every Day Miracles - The "Go Home Bag"

   When children leave to go home after their first visit at Blessing House, they are given a “Go Home” Bag.  This bag is a home-made duffel bag made by one of several groups who provide them for our children. 

   Our staff takes great delight in filling them with stuffed animals, books, a homemade blanket and a homemade pillow.  We also send home toys and clothes and other donations that are available.

   We know how much these simple things can mean to a child.  Just recently,  J. was at the house and he ended up needing a bath one afternoon.  When he was getting dressed after his bath, he wanted to know if he could put his pajamas on.  It was the middle of the afternoon.  We knew something was up.

    But J. said he didn’t own any pajamas and he only got to wear them when he was at Blessing House.  He always loved the pajamas he got to wear when he stayed with us.  So he wanted to put them on as soon as he could.  We told them his pajamas would be waiting for him to put on later, and he reluctantly agreed to put his clothes back on.

   J. and his brother, T., noticed a lot of the donations that had been brought in while they were at the house.  They knew that we gave things to families and they weren’t shy about asking if they could take their clothes and some of the toys they were playing with home.  They were from a large family and didn’t get many new things.

  It was time to go and J. and T. put on their coats.  Then , one of the staff came up to them and handed them their “Go Home” Bag. 

   J. and T. just looked at us as if to say, “And what is this?”

   We explained that we just wanted to send a few things home with them and that when they got home, they could look and see what was in their bag.

   J. and T. were quickly out the door and anxious to get home.  Their bags sat on the seat next to them and it was all they could do to keep from opening them on the way home.

    For our children who don’t have much, a brand new blanket and pillow, along with some nice clothing, toys and other surprises can mean so much.  Many of our children are used to hand me downs that are sometimes worn out or don’t fit properly.  So getting to take these fresh new gifts home was a real treat for them. 

    When children leave with their Go Home Bag, they are taking a part of Blessing House with them.  They are taking gifts that have been donated by our supporters, some even made with their own hands.  Getting something new is a real treat for them.

      I wondered if J. asked his Mom if he could take a bath that afternoon.  I’m sure she would have wondered why he wanted to do this, just like we did. 

      She would have only needed to look in J.’s Go Home Bag, where she would have found a new pair of pajamas. 

       Nightime couldn’t come fast enough.