Members of the Baha’i Faith from Champaign and Clark counties delivered to the staff of the Caring Kitchen 40 bags of personal items for incoming clients.
The bags are tailored to the specific needs of a man, a woman, a boy or a girl and contain basic items including socks, soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo, comb and even coloring books and crayons for the children along with a small toy or stuffed animal. Also included was a donation to the Backpack Program, a partnership between the Caring Kitchen and Urbana Schools.
The Baha’i donates these cloth bags of personal items to the Caring Kitchen twice a year. Once is in honor of the birthday of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith, and the second is during Intercalary Days – which is a period of the Baha’i calendar dedicated to socializing, being hospitable, giving generously to the poor and needy and preparing for the upcoming month of fasting.
The bags provide needed items for people initially moving into the shelter, and the bags are substantial enough for continued use. Sometimes they are also distributed to clients not actually housed at the shelter.
