My daughter and I cry and pray for the homeless at this time every year because it’s beginning to get cold outside. We decided that we had to do something. There are 15,000 homeless people in RI, 7,000 of which are children. We contacted Alan Shawn Feinstein, who offered to have his Junior Scholars collect donations for the homeless from the elementary schools. Then we spoke to Art at Musician’s Corner, who made a donation of backpacks, as did Mayor Lombardi. We contacted Mike Grieco of Metro Motor Group in Johnston, RI, who graciously offered a beautiful office, free of charge, where donations can be left and where we can assemble backpacks for the homeless. Amazing! Our goal is to fill 15,000 backpacks—approximate cost $30 each—to provide the homeless with a useful gift for the holidays.

Sean Carew of Providence Rescue Mission and the shelters in RI will receive one backpack per homeless man, woman, and child, for the Holidays. We need all the help we can get. Any clean, new-condition donations for the homeless can be brought to the rear of 85 Douglas Pike in Smithfield, RI. We would love to place a Dunkin Donuts, Honey Dew, Subway, etc. gift card in each adult backpack. We are totally non-profit and are sacrificially giving of what we have also.

Items needed: Backpacks, umbrellas, scarves, hats, gloves, socks, t-shirts, notepads and pens, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, facecloths, hand towels, band-aids, nail clippers, combs, wet ones, tissues, drink boxes, cookies, candy bars, cheese & crackers, etc., blankets, sleeping bags. All donations for the homeless are accepted only in new and clean-smelling condition. New jackets, sweat suits, boots, sneakers, are also accepted. Snacks and drink boxes must not be out of date.

Volunteers are needed to help fill each backpack…join us! It will be fun! With the help of loving hearts giving as they can, we can show the homeless that they are not forgotten…We can fulfill the mission to which God has called us all; to feed the poor, heal the sick, help the lame, the blind and the maimed. Won’t you consider helping the homeless in Rhode Island? Thank you!

Please stop by for coffee and a snack to see what we are doing but call first to be sure we are there. We’d love to meet you! God bless you, hope to see you soon! Deborah and Deana

For additional information please call Deborah: 270-1109, Deana: 451-6657.  Mission85@verizon.net is our email address, as well as our paypal address.