Shirley Wyzga-Johnson says, “When I came to my first BCHC meeting, I knew that I wanted to do something hands-on to help those in need.” She decided to partner with Streetreach to make brown bag lunches for them to distribute to the homeless. Twice a month she and her team of 25 women from Ocean Ridge assemble bag lunches. Each lady makes a lunch and then drops it at Shirley’s house. Shirley transports the bags to Streetreach for distribution.

The lunches are a double blessing. They contain a sandwich, drink, fruit, chips, and cookies to be eaten that day, but they also contain pop-top canned foods, tuna or chicken salad kits, fruit or pudding cups, and peanut- butter or cheese crackers which can be eaten over the next few days. Everyone benefits; from the person making the lunch who knows she has helped someone, to the person receiving the meal who knows someone cares.

This article was originally published by the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition in the “Currents” newsletter, Spring 2013 (Vol. 2, No. 1) edited by Kitty Kesler and published by Susie Kubley.