World Homeless Day is just around the corner! On October 10, 2010, millions of people around the world will be taking action to change the lives of homeless people in their local communities. We're putting on an event to address the panhandling side of homelessness and invites you and your friends to get involved by hosting the event where you live.

Get a group of friends together, and on 10/10/10, target several freeway exits in groups of two or more and "panhandle" in order to raise money for H2O bags. Each group should hold a cardboard sign that reads something similar to, "Panhandling for panhandlers. Donate to help." Once someone donates, give the driver an H2O flier containing more information about Hope2Others.

For more information on the event and to download fliers and other resources, go to www.H2Obags.com/whd.

Emily recently started her own H2O location in Grants Pass, Oregon. On her website she shares about filling her first set of 55 bags and then excitedly writes of the joy she and others have found in handing out bags. She entitled this post as "Another Victory!" You're sure to be blessed by her heart.

Earlier this week a young man we know came up to me and let me know that he and his brother had handed out their first H2O bag. He said the man had looked very dejected and sad beforehand, and when they handed him the bag he got very happy and excited. I could tell this young man was thrilled, he had been blessed by blessing another.

This excites me, it is so great to hear that the Lord is using Hope 2 Others Grants Pass to impact the lives of both the givers and the receivers.

Proverbs 14:21 says, “Blessed is he who is generous to the poor,”. This is so true. The lord may not be sending you the winning PowerBall ticket, but just the smile on that homeless person’s face is such a blessing it will keep you glowing with joy for the rest of the day…or longer.

Now, it is true that you will not always be thanked at all, with words or a smile. Some people might even be angry with you for not giving them money. They might be grateful for the meal but give back the gospel tract, or throw it away. This is fine too, it’s not as pleasant, but it’s fine. After all, you are still helping them by not giving them money and by showing them the love of God. I have yet to actually here of someone giving back the gospel tract, or not accepting the bag, but to quote ‘Facing the Giants’ “We’ll praise God when we win, and we’ll praise Him when we lose,”, not that’s it’s really winning or losing, but you get the idea.

I pray that everyone who is reading this post, or just looking at this website, will at some point have the privilege of handing out an H2O bag, because let me tell you, it is amazing.

I pray that these bags bless the homeless half as much as they bless the people handing them out, because if they do, we’re going to have some very blessed homeless folks on our hands =)

~Emily

Filming the panhandler's perspective...




The driver's perspective...




Having fun...








Promo video coming soon...

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Special thanks to Grant Blomdahl, James Calkins, and Jordan Cools who made this possible.

A writer for Oregon's largest newspaper visited Camp Jonah and wrote a little blurb about what H2O's involvement is at camp this summer. Check it out here.

Only three more weeks of camp. The summer has been going so fast. Each week I've been helping campers fill H2O bags, sharing with them how God has worked through H2O, and challenging them to do hard things for the glory of God.

So far this summer, over $300 has been raised for the Portland Rescue Mission, in order to help homeless people in a more direct way. Not only that, but many campers have donated items for the Rescue Mission. It's been neat watching campers from ages 5 to 17 open their hearts to love on the hurting people living on the streets.

Along with doing H2O at camp, I've been doing a lot of music. It's precious hearing children's voices raised towards heaven, screaming out how great God is.