It may not be food, but these bags delivered to seniors receiving home-delivered meals and groceries in Jacksonville's Historic Eastside are still much-needed essential items. Senior Care Bags are assembled packages of items that seniors may find useful to make their daily life easier. Bags should be reusable shopping bags, totes, or drawstring backpacks.
Welcome Bags can include a combination of six or more (but not limited to) of the following items:
- Hand sanitizer (when available)
- 1-2 face mask
- Toothbrush and holder
- Toothpaste
- Washcloth
- Soap and holder
- Shampoo
- Body wash
- Comb or brush
- Facial tissues
- Lip balm
- Lotion
- Jar gripper
- Magnifying glass for reading
- Magazines
- Activity books (crosswords, sudoku, etc. Large print is preferred)
- Notepads
- Pens
- Sugar-free candy
- Box of tea
- Non-slip socks
- Decorated card of encouragement
Assembling these kits involves a few simple steps. First, create a card of encouragement to put inside the bag; write a positive message, or decorate it with an inspirational image. We recommend using cardstock so that it won't bend in the bag during transport. Then, one of each item and the card should be placed in the bag.
Safety First
Safety is paramount! Please read and follow these precautions before beginning this volunteer project:
- Do not purchase items or prepare care packages if anyone in your household is sick
- When packaging goods, wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face
- Donated items must be unopened, new, and not expired
For anyone collecting hours, we will verify one half-hour plus one volunteer hour for every two bags with at least eight items, capped at 5.5 hours for one participant.
These bags will be distributed by the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation. You can learn more about their important work here.
