Early each spring, members of the United Methodist Women (UMW) begin stitching together thousands of drawstring bags. Over the following months, collections of small personal items and money to purchase them are taken in churches and UMW circles. After that, they are packed into drawstring bags for the homeless men, women, and children of the Gulf Central District (Pinellas, West Manatee, West Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties).
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UMW Member and UMCM Board Member Roberta Lau stitches Ditty Bags. |
In October, at the UMW Annual Meeting, these ditty bags are collected and transported to the UMCM offices in Clearwater. Then, in November, volunteers from the UMW, United Methodist Churches, and the community come together to sort the bags into groups to be picked up by the homeless shelters, transitional living programs, drop-in centers, migrant community programs and other agencies that will distribute them during the holidays. In 2009, UMW members and other volunteers prepared 2,956 Ditty Bags.
