Community Challenge: Bags for the Unprepared / Mercy Bags

Matt Black - October 17, 2020

Winter is quickly approaching and the news of the pandemic globally is becoming increasingly bleak. The US still hasn’t officially finished its first wave and elsewhere is showing staggering signs of an overwhelming, inbound second wave. 

Ultimately, the only way we’re going to get through this is by banding together as a community of preppers and as human beings helping other human beings in need.

Today, we put together a few basic-level BOBs using some of our own surplus stock and a few former packs) for anyone that might be in need. The packs cover the basics: water, food, fire, shelter, first aid, pandemic supplies (gloves, disposable masks, sanitizer, masks with filters), and batteries for the flashlights and headlamps.

We’re fortunate that we have the means to do this. Others in our community are not.

In all, each bag as 7-10 days worth of supplies.

And I wish we could do more.

We’d also like to challenge everyone who can do so, to take up this cause: build a bag to help someone you don’t know, who isn’t prepared to face the pandemic or a disaster.

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So awesome Matt. Can see the need even today, as my local commuity is evacuating due to wildfires and a lot of people are (of course) being caught off guard.

 

Thanks.

Other than feeling like that topic went over like a lead balloon, I thought I’d share anyway. Maybe I’m too optimistic?

 

I think most don’t think this pandemic is going to result in a collapse of society where folks will need BOBs.  I too prep for my neighbors but it will take something a whole lot worse than what we are experiencing for me to offer them help.  The majority of folks in this country have seen little, if any, impact from this virus.

 

Agreed, I don’t think the pandemic will result in collapse. Although, the stresses of unchecked spread on an already overtaxed medical system does have the potential to completely break it -AND the people (doctors, nurses, aides, and others medical-related roles) who keep those systems running.

Besides, other things (ie., the election) are more likely to begin the churning process.

As to your comment about “the majority of folks have seen little, if any impact from the virus”… well, where do I begin?

I think that’s wholly dependent on where you’ve been over the course of the pandemic and whether or not someone you know has gotten sick or died; or if you’ve lost your job. I don’t think minimizing the experiences, suffering, or loss of others for the sake of the statement, “the majority of folks…” does the scale of the pandemic’s impact on our nation -and globally any justice.

Despite your subjective opion, things are objectively changing. Spikes are emerging in rural areas and in the mid-West -the very same areas that saw ‘little or no impact’ initially, where many a community pushed to keep things open because the pandemic wasn’t a problem for their communities in the early months. I mean, that was a “city problem” back in January, wasn’t it?

I think it’s easy to get comfortable and think, “We’re safe out here in the country” and assume it’ll never show on your own doorstep.

And recent numbers bear that out.

See for yourself.

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map

[edits for clarity]

 

Thank you for posting this community challenge Matt! I think it is a brilliant idea and I will accept this challenge! My funds are very minimal right now and I have many things that I need to do for my family first to make sure we are prepared, but I am going to think of some ways that I can help others.

It is admirable to share of your resources with others and make these little kits to help others.

I’ve been thinking about what my little gift bag might look like. What will the disaster most likely look like where I need to hand these out? (fire evac, corona, inability to buy supplies at the store, etc…) Where will people go after I hand out this kit? (they might not need a fire starting set if we live in downtown New York and they are just going next door to a FEMA shelter, but they might need hygiene supplies, and some extra snacks) There are many things to consider when making these bags.

One idea I just had would be to have a “mercy bag shelf”. On it would be various supplies that can be gathered to create a mercy bag according to the situation. Have a bunch of ziplock bags with hygiene supplies, ziplock bag of flour, rice, beans, ziplock bag with flashlight and batteries, ziplock bag with fire starting set, etc… Then if someone comes needing help, you can judge their situation and just grab various ziplocks and put them in a bag and then hand the bag to them. A family of five might need more supplies than a single person and you can just grab extra bags off the shelf for that family mercy bag.

I’m looking forward to the time when I can finish up all the preps for my family so that I can focus a larger amount of time and money on things like mercy bags and ways to help others.

 

We currently have wildfires raging in CO and, although the emergency services cannot accept physical donations for the evacuees (only cash) due to COVID, the firefighters will.

Seeing what they need made me respect their role even more: on top of water, sports drinks, snacks, etc, they need iboprufen, individual eye drops, hand warmers (it’s already getting frosty), gold bond powder, socks. They are thirsty, hungry, in pain, and cold. Needless to say our wonderful community has already mobilised and have been putting together care packs. Here’s the list, if anyone’s interested.

 

When I bike on Sunday I keep two bags of food and water to share with anyone who appears in need.  It is super easy to do and those I meet who need the help are first shocked that someone cares and second very appreciative.

 

This is great! At the end of the day, we’re only as strong as the communities in which we live.  I’ve long bristled at the notion of prepers who go to lengths to hide their preps, it seems to dangerously overlook the vital need for community and teamwork.  

 

As a recovering Catholic (takes more than 12 steps) it’s imprinted in my consciousness to help whenever possible. Located in Rural N. Cal, we are a “destination point” for various friends and family who know that they are welcome here should they need to evacuate due to wildfires, flooding, earthquakes, civil unrest, zombies and so on. I’m still looking for ways to find new allies and this year am going to put it out there to the universe via the internet and am planning on having a neighborhood block party this spring. So, thank you so much for starting this topic!
As far as mercy bags, what I did in 2020 and 2021 was mail about 2 dozen “BOB” care packages to varied friends and family. The packages contained a new backpack and some to all of an assortment of : Metal canteen, metal cup or insulated metal cup, a lifesStraw item, water purification pills, iodine pills, bandanas, N95 masks, surgical masks, recycled pill container holding fishing line, fish hooks, waterproof matches & a piece of striKer cardboard, fire making tools, clean new pair of socks, baggies, & garbage bags, warm hat or ear muffs, tiny flashlight, new toothbrush and tiny toothpaste, nail clippers, church key/bottle can opener, small knife or utility knife, deck of cards, small pad and pens, small puzzle/toy, laminated “magic eyes” art piece, band aids, small anti cutie cream, finger cots, latex gloves, other 1st aid items and probably some other stuff I don’t recall at the moment.
Last year, 2022, we got a Harvest Rite Freeze Dehydrator. It has upped our prepper game substantially, brought our food waste to close to zero and increased our larder with food we love and plan to eat. We raised 3 pigs last year and with our freezers full of over a quarter ton of pork, I was anxious about electric loss over a long period that could result is wasted meat. We started to cook and freeze dry that meat to share with others as well as stockpile. I jokingly tell people I am planning to “FD” enough meals so that I never have to cook again. Unless I want to haha. So far, I’ve mailed and given away 20 some care packages full of “FD” food we cooked and or processed. Especially since Covid, its been such a Mikva to be able to just hang a bag of goodies on a sick persons door. Amongst the items we’ve FD’d and sent – Puerto Pilbil, pulled pork, pork sausage patties, pork liver dog treats :)), ham, pork and beans, black beans, garbanzo bean humus, pea soup, soup stock, farro chicken soup, barley turkey soup, beef bean Chile, beef goulash, pasta bolognese, gravy, lamb gyro meat, red and green salsas, guacamole, corn tortillas as chips, oatmeal, cream of wheat, shrimp, turkey, chicken, raw milk, breast milk, 1/2 & 1/2, coffee, coleslaw, green beans, sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, corn, mashed potatoes, potatoes au gratin (COSTCO and they ROCK!!) rice, varied, Indian and Thai meals, barbacoa beef, ice cream sandwiches, pumpkin pie, coconut ganache, pudding, skittles, apples, bananas, berries, mango pineapples, peaches, pears, asian pears, figs, top round, lobster, cheesecake, eggs, I just ordered a big bag of pinto beans to make another huge batch of pork and beans. Also make a killer vegan cuban black beans. So along with FD rice, some chips and salsa and some fruit or ice cream and maybe a small bottle of water, I will have a filling meals vegan or pork based to give to as many people as long as I can. The term mercy bag is much nicer that what I call them which is “Go Away Bags.” Probably more pc too! Anyway, we can soon start to give out some of these meal packs to street folks as well.

 

In 2020, I made care packages that included one N95 mask, instructions for care and eventual replacement, all in a zip lock bag. I would hand one to anyone that seemed worried about getting infected but unsure what to do about it. Key lesson: Almost everyone needed these, but it was only worth trying to help someone who believed that they needed help.

Today, while COVID is still one of the top causes of death and disability, very few people are still willing to wear an N95 to protect themselves. And so I’ve stopped handing them out.

I think today the best thing communities can do to be more COVID safe is to run lots of air cleaners (such as corsi-rosenthal boxes) in workplaces, stores, and other public congregation settings. This is cheap, effective, and doesn’t take much effort from anyone involved. But is it useful to donate CR boxes? The more important part is convincing building managers to accept them and keep them running. And I don’t have a good idea of how to do that.

 

Eric, thank you for posting COVID info on The Prepared. I am always glad when I see your COVID posts on the “News for the week”.

Your posts may not be a physical hand out like a care package, but it helps me (and I’m sure others) with COVID info that is hard to find elsewhere. I appreciate your articulate and well thought out posts. And I am always glad to know I’m not the only one still wearing N95s.

 

I have bought (and wear at work) so many of these Pro masks, they have offered me a trade/reseller account!

https://cambridgemask.com/

 

My state currently averages around 504 COVID cases per 7 day average with about 5 deaths in a 7 day average. The interesting thing is that most of the state has low rates, but some counties are at medium and high rates. The most densely populated areas are low rated for cases, by the way. 

I’ve become a sloppy mask-wearer, though I was never perfect. I tend to wear them mostly at work now. I did finally invest in a big air purifier at home, plus a smaller simpler one, which I’ve wanted for years now and just never got one. I do think schools, gov’t buildings, corporations, etc. need to invest in air system over hauls. 

I really think the concept of Mutual Aid Groups and other ideas are great. 60 Minutes didn’t cover Mutual Aid or Group Prepping or anything like that, but they did cover city dwellers in Ukraine last Sunday, and how they are surviving. Many people are living in apartment buildings that in normal circumstances would be condemned buildings, using wood stoves (they punch holes to the outside), and generators, etc. I’m in an area where summer might not be a problem during a power outage, but winter cold might be an issue. We do get all 4 seasons, but very high temperatures in summer are pretty rare. But today in Feb., we are having a few days in the teens before temperatures go up again. I really think some kind of deliverable Power Outage Bags or Go Bags (wild fires, hurricanes) given to people ahead of time is actually a good idea. They might use them right away, instead of saving them for emergencies, or sell them, get them stolen, but for many, it could be a life saver and a stress reliever. I really like what they are doing in Sweden, which is the government and society in general, encouraging Prepping for the individual and families, so you really have prepping being established as almost a social safety net in case of a big emergency. 

I did give my first Prepper Christmas gifts last year, nothing big, but I managed to get some Lifestraws on sale to use as stocking stuffers.