SURVIVAL KITS

Overview:
​The purpose of this activity is to:

  • Make campers aware of homelessness around us.

  • Make campers aware of some of the basic needs of the homeless and how they can make their own Kits at home to pass out all year long.

Supplies:

Survival Kit Items:

  • Travel size shampoo/conditioner

  • Travel size toothbrush/toothpaste

  • Travel size deoderant

  • Travel size lotion or Vaseline

  • Chapstick

  • Travel size tissues

  • Hand Sanitizer

  • Vitamins

  • Bandaids

  • Sunscreen

  • Fabric Softener Sheets

  • Socks

  • Wet wipes

  • Snacks - peanut butter crackers, granola bars, beef jerky

  • Bottled water

Classroom Decor:

  • TV/DVD Player

  • Rectangular tables

  • Rectangular tablecloths

  • 1-Gallon size Ziploc bags

  • Note cards

  • Colored pencils

Set-Up:

  • Sunday afternoon setup:

    • Supplies and props for the activities will be in the assigned classroom.  You may leave these in your room all week.

    • To set up for the activity, 2 tables should be placed so that students can form an assembly line to make the comfort kit.

    • Place a bin at the end of the table to collect the bags.

    • Review training plan and talking points.

    • At locations other than STM, take photographs of the areas that you will use, to ensure we return it to the same setup when we leave.

Lesson Plan:

  • Watch video and discuss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lGV0zhE5TM&index=4&list=PL143CDEE9CC776A6B&t=0s

    • Did you notice in the video what a difference it makes to ask a person on the street what their name is? Addressing them by name makes them feel respected & acknowledged as a human being. 

    • Did you know that 16 million children in America live in households struggling with hunger?  That means more than 1 in 5 children may not always have enough to eat.

    • Even living in nice neighborhoods like we do, there can still be kids that don’t have enough food.

    • Have you ever had a friend that doesn’t eat breakfast or doesn’t bring a lunch to school?

    • Would you be able to tell a parent or trusted adult?

    • What are ways you can help in your school?  Does your school have canned food drives that help stock the local food pantry?

    • Did you know that our school district also has a clothes closet that you can get free clothes if your family can’t afford them?

  • We’ve seen pictures of homeless in movies and TV and usually they have worn out clothes and are dirty.  But that is just a stereotype and there is actually no uniform for the homeless. Sometimes we can’t even recognize them because they look just like us.

  • Poverty isn’t the only cause of homelessness. Sometimes natural disasters like a hurricane or fire can destroy your home. Right now in Houston there are hundreds of abandoned homes that were destroyed by flood waters.  Many people did not have insurance so they can’t repair their damaged homes.  They are forced to live with relatives or in shelters.

  • The best way to get to know your city’s homeless is to volunteer at the local soup kitchen.

  • Homeless people don’t want pity.  Sympathy and encouragement goes a long way to help someone feel recognized and valuable.

  • Some important items to include in your Survival Kits:

    • Band-Aids- for blisters because they walk a lot in shoes that often don’t fit.

    • Vitamins- if you aren’t eating healthy and sleeping right you are more likely to get sick.

    • Small bottles of Shampoo/Conditioner/Soap- Most only have a backpack to carry all of their supplies.

    • Socks-are one of the most needed supplies. It is important to keep your feet clean and healthy when it is your primary form of transportation.  Wool socks are a necessity in the winter to keep your feet warm.

    • What other items are a necessity in the winter? Coats, hats, gloves, etc.

    • Non-Perishable Snacks- should be able to keep without refrigeration and shouldn’t contain a lot of sugar because that causes dental decay. Some good examples are trail mix, protein bars, beef jerky, & peanut butter crackers.

    • Softer food is easier to chew if their teeth are hurting.

    • Bottled Water-Hydration can be a big problem when you have no home, make sure to include water when you are offering food.

    • Dryer Sheets(Fabric Softerner)- can be used as a cheap insect repellant.

    • Cash- $10-20 can go a long way in groceries when you have nothing.

    • Take your restaurant leftovers and request plastic silverware, often in big cities there are homeless sitting outside restaurants or on street corners.

    • And always, always share some dignity. Introduce yourself, ask their name, get to know just a little bit!

  • If everyone helps a little, we can make a big change!

  • “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” St. Teresa of Calcutta​​ ​

Clean Up:

  • ​Wipe down all counter surfaces with disinfectant spray / wipes.

  • Remove painter's tape, signs and labels. Take out garbage, sweep floors.

  • Reset thermostat, if necessary and turn off lights, put away tables.

  • Store supplies in activity storage container.​​ ​

Inventory:

  • Monitor inventory of supplies and ingredients, and submit purchase request for replacement items, as needed.

Activity Cost: 

  • Tablecloths

  • Note cards

  • Colored pencils

  • Ziploc bags

  • Water bottles

​