Pandemic Care Packages for Low Income Families

Bao raised over $500 dollars, created over one hundred care packages, and engaged with her community–all while in the midst of the Covid pandemic. How did she do it? Here, she walks you through the process in her own words:

First, I created the GoFundMe page. I created it on February 28th, 2021. I wanted to create a GoFundMe page in advance so that people could donate whenever they wanted to or whenever they could. I did make it clear that I was going to stop accepting donations by April 1st, 2021.

 

I reached out to a friend of my sister’s. I’ll call her F. to protect her identity. I wanted to talk to F. specifically because she has worked with Mary’s Place before.

I wanted to make at least 100 care packages. I knew to buy snacks in bulk at Sam’s Club. However, when it came to hygiene products, I had to do more research. I am including a screenshot of my most recent search history.

I also e-mailed and called Mary’s Place for what they would like to see me bring. They didn’t e-mail me back and I called them a couple of times. They confirmed on the phone with me that the items I wanted to include in my care packages were okay to donate. This is their public donation phone number and e-mail.

 

What was in the care packages?

• Snacks
  • Chips
  • Chewy Bars
  • Crackers
• Beverages
  • Water Bottle
  • Caprisun
• Toothbrush and Toothpaste
• 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner (2x)
• Soap (2x)
• Deodorant
• Tissues
• Lip Balm
• Socks

I genuinely had such a great time doing this project. I deeply focused my project based off of ethics and community. I knew that I wanted to make at least 100 care packages for low-income families living in shelter homes, but I could not do that alone. That’s why I asked my friends and family for help. Weston states that, “It is our challenge to contribute in turn to the communities that form and sustain us” (254). In other words, we should care about our communities because they are what shape us into who we are now and who we will become. We will live out the rest of our lives in these communities, so it’s up to us to change it in ways that will help our lives be better and help other’s as well. I challenged myself by creating a GoFundMe page and asking for donations. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Asking people for money can come off as desperate or the people you are asking may not trust you. I was scared at first, but then I remembered that it’s not about me. It’s about the people struggling in our community and the help that they need until they get back on their feet. This project showed me that people do care about their communities and will contribute whenever they can. I mean it when I say that I never thought that I would reach my goal of $500, but people were so determined to help these families that I went over my goal and was able to have a budget of $570 for the care packages. They spent their time and money to help me make this project what it is. I am deeply moved by this project, and I will continue to challenge myself and others to do better for each other. To contribute whatever it is that we can in order to continue growing in our communities.

 

Want to do a project like Bao’s? Here are her tips for YOU:

• Don’t be afraid to set your GoFundMe goal at a higher goal. If you don’t meet your GoFundMe goal, don’t beat yourself up about it! As I said earlier, I wanted to initially set my goal at $200 because it was more realistic. However, I wanted to challenge myself to not be afraid to ask my friends and family for help. It can be nerve wrecking asking people for money, but don’t forget that this money is going towards something good.
• Allow yourself and people time to donate. If you are creating a GoFundMe page, do it in advanced. If people stop donating, keep it open anyway until the close-off date. I recommend you telling people the exact date you will stop accepting donations. That way they can put it on their calendar, and you will know the exact amount you have to budget for the care packages once the donations stop.
• Constantly post updates to the GoFundMe page. I don’t have a lot of social media so it’s hard for everyone who donated to see what was purchased if they don’t have me as a friend on those platforms. Posting an update will e-mail all the donors and its public for anyone else who comes across your page. I wish I was more consistent with updating, so if you can please do it so that your donors can trust that you are using their money wisely.
• Give yourself a month to do research. Which stores sell items in bulk? Do they sell bulk at your location, or do they sell it at a different location? You may even have to buy things in bulk online, which is what happened to me. I wish I did more research on this because you can see that I made a lot of different purchases at different stores on different dates. This made it more time consuming when I could’ve gotten it all done in one day.
• Keep track of your receipts and post them if you can! Be sure to cover anything you don’t want to reveal on those receipts, but always show your donors what you bought, how much each item costed, and the total. This also builds trust and allows you to hold yourself accountable.