Giving Back at Weekend Respites

Date posted: November 25, 2014

Participants of the Weekend Respite celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday last weekend while baking delicious apple and pumpkin pies, battling it out during Family Feud and creating centerpieces for our Annual Family Thanksgiving lunch. Participants played board games and then ventured outside to play some football.

While spirits were high and guests were looking forward to the feasting in the days and week ahead, we turned our attention to look at a more serious issue during our Current Events activities–Homelessness in the Cincinnati area. Participants listened to facts, read articles and discussed what it would be like to be without a home during this winter season. After the discussion, everyone worked together to assemble “Blessing Bags” that will be delivered to a local Homeless Shelter. 

These Blessing Bags were filled with packaged snacks, travel sized hygiene items, warm gloves, First Aid kits, laundry detergent, and much more. Upon stuffing a bag full of items, one participant, Jeremiah, said that “you just can’t give enough. Everyone deserves this stuff.”  When asked who these bags were going to , Robert explained that they were for “people who aren’t lucky like me to have a home.” Erin  decided that she was going to write notes and draw pictures to include in the bags. It was wonderful to see all of our participants work together to give back to our community and to open their hearts to such an important issue.