SUCCESS! 3rd Annual Homeless Care Package Project

Almost 4 months since I announced the beginning of my 3rd Annual project, I am back with a final recap!

If you’ve been following along for the last 3 years, you know we’ve done something a little different each time. The first year we gave some bags to those on the streets as well as donated to 2 charities. Last year, we partnered with a local shelter where we gave a majority of our bags and then handed out some to those on the streets. This year, I wanted to do a little bit of both.

When I first came up with the idea of this project, my main goal was to help those on the streets in need as it got colder in CT. Much to my surprise that first year, I didn’t see 48 individuals, so handing out bags proved to be a bigger challenge than I intended. That was a main reason for partnering with the shelter last year. Partnering with the shelter was great at the time, and also spread the word about this project to an audience I was, otherwise, not reaching. However, I knew I wanted this year’s project to be more similar to the first year since those who reside in shelters, while still in need, have a lot more resources than those who do not.

If you’ve been following along our videos, you know that this year, I gave bags to those I saw on the streets as well as visitors of a local community food pantry, a little food pantry drop off box at a local church, the local Police/Fire Departments, and a friend of a friend who does a lot of outreach. While I may not know exactly where each bag ended up, I do feel much more confident in how we spread the wealth this year. I feel like we were able to reach people in different ways, and through different avenues than we have the last two years.

Also much to my surprise, WE SURPASSED OUR GOAL (again)!

I was ecstatic when we surpassed our $1500 goal last year, and since I can’t really add more bags at the moment since we’re stuck in quantities of 48, my only goal was to raise even more to make our bags better, which we did!!

We started our project early this time on October 1st, giving us a full 2 months of fundraising before closing donations off on December 1st. In those 2 months, we raised…

$1900.48!! This was $300 more than we raised last year, and I will never not be amazed that this project has the level of support I wished and hoped it would when I started it!

Venmo made it back to the top of our list as the #1 platform we received donations on, accounting for over 76% of contributions! Our average donation was also $140.38, which is amazing!! I can’t say enough how blessed I am that people believe in this project and are willing to spend their hard earned money to help me help others. It truly is quality over quantity, and this project is a big reminder of that.

We also introduced an official logo this year!! Every backpack got a little sticker of this logo, and every donor received a little thank you note in the mail as well as a sticker! We also introduced HCPP merch!! Any and all profits go right back into the project, so feel free to check it out.

We also had a few businesses/charities that were involved in our project this year:

• D’Eliana’s Public Market and Deli is a loyal contributor in our project, helping us all 3 years so far! The last 2 years they have posted our flyer at their register and given their patrons the opportunity to donate as well!
• South Glastonbury Public Library also supported our project this year, and in early summer last year gave me the opportunity to visit and present on the project!
• MACC is where I brought a majority of backpacks to hand out one Saturday during their community food pantry
• Girl Scout Troop 10995 built the food pantry box near the local church that we put a few backpacks into!

If you follow this project online, you know I post video updates to our Facebook page and my socials, and this year, I posted a total of 28 videos! We also introduced the book, I May Not Have a Home, which is a children’s book about homelessness and dignity.

Out of all our donors, 62% of them have contributed to our project before! Being able to see who comes back each year and continues to support this project warms my heart ❤

Each year I get comments or messages from people who are interested in doing something like this in their communities. Each year, I’ve posted a full item list of everything that goes into our bags. This year is no different!

You can find the full, clickable 2023 item list HERE! This will include links for every single thing that was purchased and put into our bags. Even if I purchased items at local stores, I was able to find a link for you! The only things that are not linked are the bottles of water and the HCPP note card that’s also inside. The list also breaks everything down into categories so you can see a little easier what was included.

Finally, if you’ve continued reading this long, THANK YOU! ❤

This project would not be possible without your support. Whether you watched every video, gave me a comment, shared it with a friend, or donated, every little bit counts and does not go unnoticed.

Since our total cost for the entire project ended up being $1808.49, we will be starting off the 4th annual project $91.99 ahead! Be sure to keep an eye out for that announcement later this year 😉

If you have any questions, comments, feedback, ideas, or anything you’d like to share, I would love to hear it! Please feel free to leave a comment below on this post, DM me on our FB page or my Instagram, or email me at brittney@traudtstwocents.com. I am always open to suggestions and thoughts on how we could make this project even better!

As always, thank you for reading! See below for our donor shoutout and be sure to subscribe so you never miss a post!

This Year’s Project Would Not Be Possible Without The Following People:

• Jennifer
• Nick
• Glastonbury South Public Library
• D’Eliana Public Market and Deli
• Joe
• Dottie
• Barbara
• Michelle
• Ginnie
• Isabella
• Joann
• Brendan
• Carla