Jamestown, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The North Dakota Region VI Homeless Coalition is partnering alongside of the Jamestown Ministerial Association, Triumph Inc, and Edgewood Senior Living to provide bags of essential care items to people experiencing homelessness and or other hardships.

The movement provides “mercy boxes” where people can donate new and unopened travel sized personal care items, small pre-packaged non-perishable snacks, socks, and small first aid supplies. Drop off sites will be located at: Stutsman County Housing Authority, Triumph Inc., Trinity Lutheran, and Edgewood Senior Living. The Jamestown Ministerial Association will also have a traveling box at each of the midday Lenten services.

The mercy boxes will be available as collection locations beginning February 14, 2018 and lasting through April 2, 2018. On Wednesday April 11, 2018, 1:00 p.m. at Edgewood Senior Living, Jamestown, ND the donated items will be assembled into Blessing Bags. Community members are welcome to attend this event.

In 2017, the Coalition packaged nearly 300 blessing bags, and these were distributed regionally to various organizations in nine counties.

What items can be donated? Please note that all items must be new and unused. Travel sized personal care items such as facial tissue, wet wipes, nail clippers, lip balm, Listerine, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, comb, etc., nonperishable snacks such as granola bars, crackers, gum, mints, etc . athletic socks, mittens, Small first aid kits, and feminine hygiene products

The need to actively care for people experiencing homelessness is growing. Per the annual Point in Time Survey in January 2017, there were 1,089 persons documented as experiencing homelessness with 178 being under the age of 18. There were 331 out of that total which were considered unsheltered. This number is up from the 216 unsheltered on the 2016 survey.