Volunteers pack all the different gift items into bags. Photography by Seth Weber.
As you dig into your Christmas stocking this year, dozens of people in crisis in Spokane will also be opening their own goodie bags created to give the same sense of comfort and joy. With God’s provision and a few helpers, one Faith Bible Church member will brighten Christmas morning for many men and women who are spending it in a shelter.
A few years ago, Jenn Bothun, who had already served behind the scenes for many years at Faith events, was looking for opportunities to reach out beyond the church to serve in the community. In 2019, that desire made her finally accept Helen Campbell’s invitation to come with her to Women’s Auxiliary meetings at the Union Gospel Mission.
“At the mission, there’s hope,” she says. “You see it at the church, but to see it in the community like that … to see that hope changing people, that is very inspiring.”
UGM provides clean and sober shelter, meals, a medical clinic and Gospel-based recovery programs for people going through homelessness and substance abuse problems. As a church, Faith partners with UGM financially through the Care Fund, among other ways.
At one Auxiliary meeting, Jenn’s attention was caught when they announced a need for Christmas-morning gifts for the men in the shelter. That seemed right up her alley.
Jenn started relatively small: She assembled and dropped off three to five gift bags that Christmas. She did the same the next Christmas. In 2021, she shared what she was doing on the church’s Facebook community page and invited others to participate. The response was huge: “That year there were about 47 bags that were filled, which was very encouraging to me.”
Early in 2022 Jenn took a tour of the UGM men’s shelter and talked with residents themselves about what works in a care package. For instance, she found out she shouldn’t include pocket knives or mouthwash, but Old Spice would be a favorite type of deodorant.
Jenn Bothun and her husband, Mike, lay out items at Fill the Bag in 2022.
Jenn tries to make the gifts practical but also fun, like a Christmas stocking. “Maybe it makes a more positive memory at Christmastime than what they they’ve had in their past when they open up that bag.”
This year, she’s making bags for the women’s shelters as well. There are a few basics included in every bag: a journal, a magnetic bookmark, lip balm, gum, snacks, a keychain, pens and pencils, deodorant, three pairs of socks, winter gloves, and any other goodies God brings into Jenn’s path.
She says she’s often seen the Lord’s provision for the project: finding a box of clearance-priced gloves on a bottom shelf, or having church friends hand her money for whatever she needs for the bags. It’s mostly a gradual process of including a few sticks of deodorant on her shopping list one day, snagging a few cool keychains the next week, and so on. She checks thrift store sales and uses credit card reward points. Her husband, Mike, enjoys shopping estate sales, so she has him on the lookout for bag-worthy items.
For most of this year, Jenn could fit everything she was gathering into her workroom closet. But by September it was starting to spill out into the room. That’s where another item that church members have donated helps greatly: laundry baskets! They allow Jenn to organize items and transport the bags easily. The baskets are also regularly needed at UGM shelters, so Jenn can just drop them off as a bonus donation.
After a yearlong process of picking things up here and there, sorting and counting out all the items, it’s time to assemble. Jenn is holding her second annual “Fill the Bag” event on December 16 at 10:00 am at the church. Last year, even with heavy snow that morning, they had enough volunteers to fill all 100 bags in a couple of hours. She’s hoping for about 20 volunteers to help fill 150 bags this year, so talk to Jenn if you’d like to help.
Jenn hopes those who receive the bags “know that somebody cares about them and wants them to better their life.” This Christmas, pray for each gift bag recipient to believe, as Psalm 40:17 says, “I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me.”
Volunteers from Faith pose with the bags after packing them last December.
