Through Worship Anew’s care package ministry, love is being put into action.
The care package program provides an opportunity to do something for aging adults who are hurting, as well as those who are caring for them. By providing physical and spiritual resources, these care packages remind them they are loved and not suffering alone.
“In keeping with our mission, care packages are for aging adults who are experiencing any number of life’s difficulties like the loss of a loved one, illness, or loneliness and isolation,” said Gina Teeple, Worship Anew’s director of development and ministry relations. “These care packages are also for the people who care for them because we know that they are also needing care in hard times.”
The care packages are customized for each person by a team of volunteers. They include a comfort item (blanket or slippers), a coffee mug and a beverage (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or seasonal beverage), an activity (crossword puzzle, word search, Sudoku, coloring book, or journal), and spiritual resources, including the Hope-Full Living devotional. They are assembled and prayed over before they are shipped out.
“When we experience difficulty in our lives, our needs become very basic. Often, it is hard to sleep. Sometimes we forget to eat. From time-to-time it is nice to divert our thoughts to something other than what is happening to us or our loved one,” Teeple said. “Most importantly, we need to know we are loved and not alone. That is why we include a comfort item, a snack, an activity, and reminders of God’s love and the love of those around us in the care packages.”
The care package program was brought together from the Worship Anew staff’s own experiences. Through personal hardships and through observing their family’s struggles, they witnessed what brought comfort to them and replicated that with the boxes.
“I often use the example of a blanket my daughter received from a friend one Christmas. Even though she already had more than one blanket, this one quickly became her favorite,” Teeple said. “She walked around wrapped in it for weeks. It is still her favorite blanket because it is more than a blanket to her. It is a physical reminder of the love and support of her friend.”
The hope of the care ministry program is to provide an opportunity for people to do something when they don’t know what to do.
“God created us to be interdependent with others. We are not just social beings. We need one another. As a result, we have a deep need and desire to help one another, especially in times of suffering,” Teeple said. “Unfortunately, we don’t always know what to actually do to help. The care package ministry provides an opportunity for people to do something for their loved ones who are hurting. They may not be able to take away the diagnosis, but they can remind the person they are loved in and through their illness.”
The care package program is open to anyone to participate and send a care package. But, the program is heavily supported by donations in order to continue to offer the care packages at no cost to the sender.
“My hope is that those who receive a care package will know that God loves them, and they are not alone. He is with them regardless of their circumstances, working in and through those around them,” Teeple said. “For someone sending a care package, my hope is they will feel inspired to continue finding tangible ways to share God’s love with others.”
To learn more about the care package program or to send a care package, please visit WorshipAnew.org/care.