Red Bags

For the last 13 years at Christmas, the Kaw River Ward has partnered with a wonderful charity, here in Kansas City that provides gifts to needy children in foster care.  The name of the charity is Christmas Families’ Red Bag project. The needs and wishes of these foster kids are identified by their social workers and then individuals in the community can sponsor one or more children. The money is collected, gifts are purchased and then placed in red bags for the social worker to pick up and distribute right before Christmas. Every single thing is donated. Not one person is paid. Even the truck drivers donate their time and fuel and trucks. 

The  project was started by Daniel Jacobs over 30 years ago from his Overland Park, Kansas home. While working as a customer service representative for Kansas City Power & Light in 1983, Jacobs said he encountered several families facing extreme financial problems as the holiday season neared. Realizing that there were children on his route that would have nothing for Christmas from Santa Claus, Daniel went out and purchased gifts with his own money for 4 families that first year. He realized that there were hundreds of other such kids in similar straits and felt a desire to do more.  He knew he couldn’t do it all alone so the next year, he wrote a letter to his friends asking for help. The second year he was able to help 13 families. Over the years, his efforts have grown and now reach about 1,500 children in the Kansas City area.

We were privileged to be able to help out at the ward building which served as a collection and distribution site for the bags. A very special treat was to meet the man who started this project so many years ago and hear his inspiring story. He is not LDS, nor are most of those that donate to this worthy cause, but it is a great opportunity for the members here to join with like minded Christians to provide such a wonderful blessing to those in need.

DANIEL JACOBS

Currently, there are three other distribution centers in Kansas City, along with the Kaw River ward building. The bags are assembled else where and then brought here in a large tractor trailer.  Ward members and missionaries unload the bags and then organize them by the child's name so that they are ready for the social workers to pick up Christmas Eve.

MISSIONARIES UNLOADING BAGS

It was close to freezing outside, so we were happy to work inside organizing the bags and gifts. We soon filled up the cultural hall, stage, relief society room and foyer.

Most of our week was spent visiting and inviting less active families to return to full activity and enjoy the blessings of the Gospel. Our main assignment here is the one that President Monson challenged all of us to do when he said: "...Since becoming President of the Church I have felt an increased urgency for us to be engaged in this rescue effort. As faithful members of the Church have reached out with love and understanding, many have returned to full activity and are enjoying added blessings in their lives. There is yet much to do in this regard, and I encourage all to continue to reach out to rescue."

We also were able to attend our first district meeting this past Wednesday.  We have some fine Elders and Sisters in our district. There is also another Senior couple who have been called as records preservation missionaries. They have filmed some 300,000 Kansas homesteading records thus far on their mission. They are not allowed to wear missionary name tags but everyone in the state records depository knows that they are LDS and are grateful for their service. They said that eventually the Church would like to film and preserve every single record on the planet.  

THE DISTRICT

We are grateful to be able to be serving at this very special time of year. Today in Sacrament meeting, the speaker shared a quote by President Gordon B. Hinkley. We know and testify that this is true.

“There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter.  The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.”

“For each of you may this be a merry Christmas.  But more importantly, I wish for each of you a time, perhaps only an hour, spent in silent meditation and quiet reflection on the wonder and majesty of this, the Son of God.”

 “Our joy at this season is because he came into the world.  The peace that comes from Him, His infinite love which each of us may feel, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for that which He freely gave us at so great a cost to Himself - this is the true essence of Christmas."

President Gordon B. Hinkley