On November 13, 2023, a group of Showering Love’s volunteers got together to pack Thanksgiving food in 175 backpacks for the unhoused who shower on Grace and Faith each week. The “Thanksgiving Backpack Project” was attended by 9 women at Lee Aloni’s home, where thousands of containers, packages and cans of food were piled high and the colorful backpacks were stuffed with shelf-stable food that didn’t require heating or refrigeration; a necessity for the homeless who have little ability to cook or keep food cold.
“When we give ourselves to others our hearts receive so much more in return. Stuffing the backpacks was like filling our guests plates and serving them a bountiful portion of love,” says Lee, who has been volunteering for Showering Love for over 3 years. In her dining room, the women went around the large table and filled each backpack with turkey and dressing, potted meats, tuna packets, drink mixes, cookies, pork and beans, canned spaghetti and hand written notes of caring and love.
For Vismaya Rubin, who has been a Showering Love volunteer since 2017, giving back is generational and a tribute to her grandmother. “I learned to do community service by watching my Grandma Lee cover coffee cans and stuff them with goodies for the Vets. One of the best parts of the “Thanksgiving Backpack Project” is that we can get the whole community involved. When each person gives a little, the impact is huge,” she says.
The impact was huge, indeed. Showering Love distributed the backpacks to 175 guests leading up to Thanksgiving to insure that they would have a full belly on that day and days to come. You could see the gratitude on each guest’s face as they chose a backpack after receiving a shower, clean clothes and hygiene products. “It means a lot to get this backpack,” said Misty, a weekly guest with Showering Love, “it means that I will have food for the holiday.”
— Written by: Stacy Kanas
