Blessing a Gal on Our Way from the Market

Jul 7, 1012 – Afternoon

We were on our way home from the market when a gal with a shopping cart, loaded with all her earthly belongings, crossed in front of our car as we were headed home. The thought always crosses your mind when something like this happens: “You don’t have time for this – you need to get home and get dinner started. Just let her be on her way…”.

But I said “No!”. We do have time. This is not an interruption. This is why we are here. To bring light, love, encouragement and help to others when and where we can.”

So I told my wife, “let’s turn left and head back and follow her“. We pulled back into the parking lot, and parked, and I popped our car trunk and grabbed a Blessing Bag. I walked over slowly – so as not to startle here – and said “You know, we carry some blessing bags in our car for those we run across who might need a little help. Here it is (as I handed it to her), with food, water, and other essentials. I hope this helps. God loves you“.

She looked at me with appreciation, took the bag, and said “God bless you too”. As she moved on her way, we departed and reflected: these are not accidents, or interruptions.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do”. (Eph 2:10)

God plans these events in advance for believers – all we have to do is look up, see them, and act as God’s hands, feet and heart.:

Lots of Interest in Blessing Bags OC at Crossline

Sunday, June 4th – Blessing Bags OC at Crossline Church!

The new Blessing Bags OC ministry we are launching was featured in the Connect Booth at Crossline Church this morning. People from both services stopped by to ask what this was about, and to learn more.

Everyone thought it was a great idea: as opposed to giving cash, giving a person in need a “blessing bag” that contains food, water, and other essential items, plus an encouraging note about how they are so loved by God. Many took a free bag for their car trunk, should they meet someone in need (we had 20 prepared blessing bags), and 18 were taken by volunteers, along with a flyer. Thus they were equipped to give a blessing bags of food and common necessities to those they run across – outside a gas station, on a street corner, or elsewhere.

Jamie, one of our volunteers, noticed an apparently homeless young man at the back of the church, outside (they have outdoor seating). He had come on his bike, and I noticed the was carrying a back pack and sleeping bag on his bike. Jamie walked up to him, smiled – and he did too – and she told him God loves him, and handed him a bag. He was happy to get it, and was very thankful. I came up to him later to chat a bit, and offer help to him if he needed anything. He stayed and listened intently to the message at the first service, which was about giving.

Many who stopped by the Connection Booth donated to the cause when they picked up a bag or two for their car trunk. The donations were passed on to Crossline Church, with a note “In support of the blessing bags”. Some even wanted to join the team!

Thank you Lord for giving us the opportunity to be a blessing to others in real need, to be your eyes, hands and feet, giving a blessing bag of food and common necessities to those without a home.

Proverbs 14:21 “It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,
but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.”

www.BlessingBagsOC.com

We will have a Display at Crossline Church this Sunday

Good News!

Blessing Bags OC will be featured in the Connection Booth at Crossline Church this coming Sunday, June 4th. Look for our display (below), and me from 9 to 1 pm on Sunday.

We will have flyers available, and a small supply of FREE Blessing Bags for those interested. I will also be answering any questions. Donations are appreciated but not required. After you pickup you bag, if you wish to donate just go to https://blessingbagsoc.com/donate/

We will also have a signup sheet for those expressing interest. And should we run out of bags, visitors will be able to request a bag or two (to be delivered in the future).

We are so delighted to be able to share Blessing Bags OC with members of Crossline Church. Its hard to believe, that even in Orange County California, there are nearly 6,000 people that are homeless. Half of these – 3,000 – are without shelter. Most of these people are in need of common necessities.

You will see them in the front of supermarkets or public offices, on street corners or stop lights, and maybe reclining at a park bench. Sometimes they will display a cardboard sign, with the words “Need help” or something similar. Many times such people are ignored, or brushed aside as a result of our busy OC lifestyle. We ignore them. We pretend not to see them. But they are there nonetheless, and in need.

Rather that tossing a few dollars their way, which may be put to the wrong purpose, why not give them a “blessing bag” with food, water, snacks, other essential items, and an encouraging note! This will lift their spirit, and give them food for the body, soul and spirit.

God loves everyone of His creatures, and when believers see a person in need, Christ commanded us to do our best – as a member of His body on earth – to meet that need. Stopping for a few minutes in your daily routine, seeing the person as one of God’s creatures whom He loves, and reaching out with a blessing bag is just one way to show love and care for a person in need.

Blessing Bags OC
www.BlessingBagsOC.com

Stopped at Light to Give a Helping Hand

April 7th, 2023 – On the way to the hospital to get a shot in my hip, when I had to stop at a light and this young homeless guy was sitting at the light with a cardboard sign asking for help. I told I don’t have cash for him, but I do have a bag of blessings for him, and I gave him a bag from Blessing Bag OC from our trunk.

I told him God loves him, and would this help. He said “Oh yeah”. He was digging right into it when the light changed and I made my turn.

Blessing Bags OC – Early Production Line

April 11, 2023 – Well, we ran out of our supply of Blessing Bags, so now its time to make some up, Our goal at this point is to have several bags in our car, and support our Crossline Church small group with Blessing Bags – in the event anyone comes across a person in need.

Here is a view of the early Blessing Bags OC production line:

Our team is out shopping for more supplies today, and will return shortly. Another good piece of news is that I met with Crossline Church last week, and they have decided to move ahead and support this ministry – which is totally exciting!

Be blessed,

Paul and Marie

Giving a Little Hope in Jesus Name

April 9th, 2023 – Ran across a woman with a baby in front of Ralph’s grocery store. Not sure if she was a drop off by a scammer, but maybe, maybe not. In any event, I told her I had no money to give, but I did have a bag of essential items with food, water, snacks, wipes, etc.

I told her Jesus loves her, and I am giving this to you in His name. She smiled, and was thankful. Later I walked by and she was already into the bag. I pray she reads the tract enclosed, and it speaks to her.

The Rise in Deaths of the Homeless

Mar 1, 2023 – OC Sherriff Don Barnes:

“In January 2022, I commissioned a Homeless Death Review Committee, which includes broad representation of technical experts from county agencies, municipal police departments, hospitals, and non-profits. The Committee explores the root causes of homeless deaths to determine what, if any, factors contributing to the deaths were preventable.

The findings by the Homeless Death Review Committee are telling, and it’s clear that we have challenges ahead to reduce the number of deaths among people experiencing homelessness. The rise in the number of deaths of people experiencing homelessness is concerning. Most troubling is the significant increase we are seeing in fentanyl-related deaths. We continue to enhance efforts to address the fentanyl epidemic and provide critical resources to those trapped in addiction.”

Please review the report here: https://bit.ly/3IY2RpO

How Many are Homeless in Orange County?

The are 5,718 people without a home in Orange County!

According to the Daily Pilot, May 2022 update “County officials praised the results of the 2022 Point in Time count during a press conference but said there is more work to be done to solve the local homeless crisis. The federally required biennial census was last held in 2019, when 6,860 people were found to be living in shelters or on the street. The current count, the first since the pandemic disrupted plans for the last homeless census, found that there were 5,718 homeless people in the county.

Read the Daily Pilot report for the details.

What causes homelessness in Orange County?

Key Finding: Homelessness is caused primarily by lack of sufficient income or job loss combined with high costs of housing in Orange County. Other factors, like family dysfunction, health, and substance abuse, increase one’s vulnerability to homelessness in such a context.

Homelessness is Not a Crime

Remember, homelessness is not a crime. The law does not prevent individuals from sitting, laying or sleeping in public if no existing shelter bed is available. In Martin versus City of Boise (9th Circle 2018) 902 F.3d 1031, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause of the Eighth Amendment precludes the enforcement of a statute or ordinance prohibiting sleeping outside against homeless individuals with no access to a shelter. The Court ruled, “So long as there is a greater number of homeless individuals in (a jurisdiction) than the number of available beds (in shelters), the jurisdiction cannot prosecute homeless individuals for involuntarily sitting, lying, and sleeping in public.”

How is the City of Lake Forest Helping the Homeless?

The City of Lake Forest works with the following agencies to address the need to helkp the homeless:

What Lake Forest is Doing to Prevent Homelessness

Through its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, Lake Forest partners with nonprofit organizations that assist at-risk families and those experiencing homelessness. Our partners include:

Families Forward: Families Forward provides assistance through housing, food, counseling, education and other support services. In 2017, Families Forward assisted 167 households and 582 individuals with homeless-prevention services, which can include rental subsidies, case management, a food pantry, life-skills workshops and transitional housing units, some of which are located in Lake Forest.

Family Assistance Ministries: Family Assistance Ministries provides food, supportive counsel, rental-assistance programs, an interim shelter for homeless single women and mothers with children, Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Re-housing Programs.

South County Outreach: South County Outreach (SCO) helps those in crisis reach self-sufficiency by providing food, rental and utility assistance, homeless prevention counseling, housing, computer training, clothing and other seasonal programs. SCO offers a food pantry in Irvine and rapid re-housing as well as transitional re-housing, including 11 condominiums in Lake Forest that serve homeless families with minor children. South County Outreach assisted 1,458 Lake Forest residents in 2017, which included 132 calls to prevent eviction.

Affordable Housing Program: Lake Forest has more than 500 affordable units, including 187 apartments in Baker Ranch. In Portola Hills, construction will begin on a 56-unit affordable complex for seniors, and 18 additional affordable units will be built with the new homes. The City also has an agreement with with National Community Renaissance that dedicated $3.76 million in-lieu of housing fees to build affordable housing in Lake Forest.

For more information, visit https://www.lakeforestca.gov/en/departments/police-services/homeless-resources

How Does Irvine Help the Homeless?

In addition to affordable housing, supportive housing, and emergency shelter partners, the City provides grant funding to local nonprofit organizations for homelessness prevention services in Irvine, including Families Forward, South County Outreach, Human Options, and StandUp for Kids. For more info, visit https://www.cityofirvine.org/services/affordable-housing/homeless-services#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20affordable%20housing,Options%2C%20and%20StandUp%20for%20Kids.

Reaching Out at the Supermarket

Jan 4th, 2023

On our way to buy food for dinner, we just saw a guy hanging out in front of the supermarket, digging in the trash for food or drink. No one was stopping or helping him.

Since we always keep some Blessing Bags in our trunk, I went back to the car, got one, and gave him one. I told him God loves him. He was so thankful to get the food, water and snacks. When we came back out of the market, we noticed he was enjoying the cool drink, and snacks. He smiled.

I hope he checks out the scriptures enclosed. I am praying for him.

What Being a Follower of Jesus is All About

Jan 15, 2023 – Crossline Church

During church at Crossline last Sunday, a homeless woman showed up outside during the first service. She was distraught – someone had just stolen her shopping cart, with all of her possessions. She literally had nothing but the clothes on her back. I ran back to my car and pulled out a Blessing Bag, and came back and handed it to her. I told her God loved her, and she was so thankful for the bag of food, water, and other essentials. We got her some food, coffee, and Kelly went out and came back with a sleeping bag. Others gave her gift cards. This is what being a follower of Jesus is all about.