Welcome to the second day of Random Acts of Christmas! Yesterday, I Candycane Bombed a Parking Lot and today I did something that was so easy, yet felt really impactful. I made a bunch of fleece scarves and then walked around downtown handing them out to homeless people that I found.
Day 2 - Making Scarves and Handing them out to the Homeless
Now let clarify … I am not very crafty and really anyone with a pair of scissors could make these scarves. I simply went to JoAnne’s fabric, found some fleece that was on sale, used an additional discount from their app and was able to make these scarves for about $1 a piece.
Fleece is a great option for a few reasons. First, it feels instantly warm against the skin, even if it is exposed to cold temperatures outside. It may not retain heat as well as merino wool, but it will definitely feel cozy. Second, fleece does not require any sewing. The material doesn’t fray when cut, and you simply measure the length you want, cut, and you are done! I was able to make 10 scarves in less than 10 minutes.
One reason that I like making scarves, is that the fleece can be used in a variety of ways. If their ears are cold, they could wrap it around their head instead of their neck. This could really apply to any area that is needing a little extra warmth. If their hands are cold, it won’t be quite as effective as gloves, but they could wrap the fleece scarf around their hands.
At first, I was tempted to grab some fun patterned fleece, but then thought better of it. There are a few reasons I went with a really neutral gray color. First, you would think that they would enjoy “anything that’s free and warm”, but I’ve volunteered with the homeless population before, and they will often turn things down if they don’t like the color or pattern. This may sound counterintuitive, but they don’t all want to have a mismatched combination of clothing that makes them look even more “different” than everyone else.
Second, I didn’t want it to be obvious that they all have the same scarf. Coming back to the previous point, if they see some of their friends wearing the same crazy candy cane pattern scarf, they may be less likely to wear it. I know some of this sounds strange, but my previous experience volunteering has really opened my eyes a bit more to the culture within this community. I figured most people like a neutral gray color and it won’t be obvious that everyone has the same scarf.
It is around 35 degrees Fahrenheit where I live today and it is supposed to drop into the 20’s for the rest of the week. I’d like to think that many of them move into the local shelters when it gets this cold…but I’m afraid I still saw lots of people out on the street. A fleece scarf won’t do much to protect them from the elements, but I hope that it helps them at least a little.
I live downtown, and so it was easy for me to just walk out my front door and find people to give my scarves to. Many of them were passed out in front of abandoned store fronts, and so I simply laid the scarf on top of them. I hope when they wake up, it will put a little smile on their face.
I was careful not to take any photos of them. Another thing I have learned from working with this population of people is that many are ashamed to be in the state they are in and the last thing they want is to have their picture taken. Even though it would’ve been great to show you guys some of the people who received scarves, I thought it would be more important show them a little decency and respect.
Total Cost for this Random Act of Christmas - $10.
Thanks for following along on my journey of kindness this week. I hope that my posts inspire you to think about how you can spread kindness this holiday season. Part of the purpose of this series is to show that it doesn’t need to take a lot of money to do something unexpected and thoughtful for someone. Yesterday’s act of kindness cost $3, and today’s cost $10. I realize that $10 is a bit higher, but honestly, it’s probably the most expensive one I will do all week.
If you decide to do a “Random Act of Christmas” please use the “randomactsofchristmas” tag so that I can find you and send you some love! Also, be sure to check out and support @lyndsaybowes initiative Operation Human Angels and @hendrix22’s #thegoodnews tag. They are both doing amazing things to encourage good will and kindness. Not to mention, operation human angels is what inspired this whole series!
Other Random Acts of Christmas
Day 1 - Candycane Bombing a Parking Lot with Notes of Joy!
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