This fall we asked for donations to fund our first annual Hope Bag project. Our dream was to present each of the 7 Partner in Lyme Awardees with a bag of goodies to raise their spirits and remind them that there is hope to be found in this illness, in life, and in faith.
We shopped locally to fill these bags with comforting items such as:
tea & mugs
journals
and lavender filled stuffed animal heating pads for the kids, along with inspirational mirrors and Peace on Earth hand towels
We received a generous donation of personalized signed copies of his first book, On Fire from John O’Leary Inspires .
We also received a donation of hand painted hearts from the local charity Hearts of Hope, which partners with local organizations to “paint ceramic hearts with hand written messages of caring and compassion to give as gifts of hope worldwide”.
For our two Awardees who are children, Happy Camper Tie Dye made two sweatshirts complete with green "Lyme" hearts!
On a blustery Saturday before Christmas, we delivered these Hope Bags all around the state of Connecticut. We said hello or waved through windows and brought smiles to the faces of those we have assisted this year. I plan to make this a yearly event and I am so grateful for those that designated their donations specifically for this project. Thank you!
