Help Homeless Totebags Get a Car!!!
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Let's help get Terry Brewer and the Homeless Totebags get a new car!! The story below from NH-1 News describes Terry and the Homeless Totebag program. Anything you can donate will help to get Terry and the Homeless Totebag program get back on the streets doing what they do best - helping the homeless!! Thank you so much for your suport.
NH1.com
FARMINGTON — A woman who helps homeless individuals throughout New Hampshire recently lost her wheels, but that hasn't stopped her from continuing to help those in need.
Terry Brewer, of Farmington, has been helping the homeless with "The Homeless Tote Bags" for about a year and a half, with the help of her husband Newell, her sons Gene and Eric and a number of volunteers. But recently she suffered a huge setback when her vehicle broke down beyond repair this past week.
"Over the past six months her car has been torturing her," Karen Wright, a friend and volunteer who bakes goods for the homeless care packages, told NH1 News. "She's been kind of holding it together with duct tape and dental floss, and at this point it's just done."
Brewer said her family, who lives in an apartment and is also dealing with medical costs associated with her husband's terminal cancer, has looked at some vehicles, but nothing was within their price range. Wright said Brewer had been considering taking funds from their winter heating costs to try and afford a car so she could continue her deliveries.
Brewer said that since her vehicle died she has been relying on volunteers who normally help out with donations to give her rides, like Brenda Mee, who gave her a ride to be interviewed by NH1 News.
"Some people that are homeless in this community have also been picking them up from our house, because we've been working with them for so long that we trust them to know our address," she said. "When we had our car running we would go out three, sometimes four times a week."
Despite the setback, Brewer said they will continue to find ways to get the tote bags to the homeless, and that they will even be donating their car to a charity garage to help other struggling families.
"We're going to donate it to Good News Garage, so that they can help some other families, because the junkyard was going to give us a really low price," Brewer said. "Not to say we don't need the money, because we do, but we'd rather it go to them so they can try to fix it or use parts for other vehicles."
Whitney Garland, another friend and volunteer, and Wright both reached out to NH1 News to get the word out about Brewer's car troubles and what she's doing with "The Homeless Tote Bags" because they said she would never ask for the help herself.
"She helps so many people in so many ways, day and night, every day of the week, all year long," Garland said. "And without donations and things like that she has nothing to spare."
'Everybody has the right to eat'
Brewer said her son Gene was the one who came up with the idea for "The Homeless Tote Bags" after he noticed how many homeless people were in the area who didn't seem to have anything. She said that some food pantries in New Hampshire don't allow you to take any food if you don't have a valid address.
"We feel that everybody has the right to eat, so we decided to do this independently," she said.
Brewer said the first time they put together a bag to give out they had no idea where to go, so they went to Portsmouth and ended up meeting a homeless veteran.
"He broke down crying because we gave him a toothbrush," she said. "It really touched us and we couldn't believe that a toothbrush meant so much to a homeless person."
After that, Terry said her son Eric set her up on Facebook, and she also utilized the local farmer's market to get the word out about her endeavor and to gather donations. She said first and foremost her priority is helping people without judgement.
"We have no strings attached to our bags," she said. "We just simply want to help them."
Brewer said they don't look at what factors made a person homeless in the first place, only the fact that they are a person who needs to eat and survive.
"We don't care what the story is. We feel that they have the right to eat and that's the bottom line."
They also do not include any sort of religious materials in their tote bags, because they feel religion doesn't have anything to do with needing food, and if a person wants to go to a church there are plenty around for them to visit.
After getting on Facebook, Brewer said word began to spread about "The Homeless Tote Bags" and donations started to come in. She also said that she checks Facebook pages where people post items they are trying to get rid of for free.
"When I see something free, like clothing or something like that, I'll tell the person what we're doing and see if they're willing to donate to us," she said.
At the moment, Brewer said she is regularly taking care of about a dozen different families with children, some of which are grandparents taking care of their grandchildren who's parents are homeless. She said she also helps about 15 other homeless individuals who camp out in the woods in the area. She said some months they have distributed tote bags to more than 50 homeless individuals.
'Everything has a purpose'
Brewer's tote bags come chock full of the essentials you would expect, including a week's worth of food and basic hygiene products, but they also contain handmade items that are often reusable or perform multiple functions, including the bags themselves.
"We make our bags out of grain bags ourselves from donated bags," she explained. Brewer said that with the help of volunteers, they wash the grain bags and then hand sew them into their final tote bag form.
She said the bags can be used to carry items or as a pillow.
"When they empty the bag, they put their clothing in it and use it as a pillow to sleep at night," Brewer said. She said they try to make items serve multiple purposes because many homeless people don't have a lot of space to carry extra items.
Brewer said individuals can purchase the homemade bags for $5 at the local farmer's market, and the proceeds go towards buying items that don't typically get donated.
Another item included in the bags are a few small cans of fuel that can be ignited and used for cooking. Brewer said they include the fuel to encourage homeless individuals not to start open fires on land they don't own.
"We're always telling them to try and be careful with the environment and not to leave any trash behind," she said.
A farm in Rollinsford donates eggs for the totes, and other food items include snacks, Ramen and canned goods. Brewer said they prefer the cans with "pop tops" because homeless people might not have a can opener, but just in case, they include a military-style can opener.
As for as hygiene products, Brewer said they include the basics like a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shaving cream, razors and toilet paper. She also said that if they are giving the bag to a woman, they will give her enough feminine hygiene products to last an entire cycle, not just a few days.
Brewer said every tote includes a First Aid kit and they also include a prescription pill bottle filled with bandages so they can restock the kit when they run out. She said they ask their volunteers to save old pill bottles because they can be useful for storing smaller items. Brewer said they also try to include bug spray when applicable.
Aside from food and hygiene products, they also provide clothing and shoes when they hear about someone who needs them. Brewer said they also try to provide a pot or a pan and a utensil, so that people may cook easier.
Other key items Brewer said they provide are emergency tube tents that are lightweight and easy to transport in the summer, and in the winter they distribute tents that are lined with emergency blankets and are able to withstand temperatures below 0 degrees.
"We also try to give people living in the woods vests during hunting season so they can be safe," Brewer said.
Also included are comforters and blankets, and Brewer said they try to make sure every person has their own sleeping bag.
Another handmade item Brewer includes in the totes are woven sleeping mats made from recycled grocery bags, and she said they learned the technique from someone on the other side of the globe.
"Sam, our friend in Australia, gave us the blueprints and even made a video to show us how to do it because I didn't know how to weave," Brewer said. the only difference between her mats and Sam's, is that the straps to tie up the mat aren't permanently attached to it.
"We make our straps like a rope, so that the person can use it as a clothesline, because many homeless people use rivers and streams to do laundry," she said, adding that they provide clothespins as well.
The mats themselves provide a decent amount of cushion and are extremely lightweight and portable. Brewer said a lot of time and effort goes into the production of even just one mat.
"You take the bags and you cut them into strips and loop them together to form what looks kind of like yarn, and then you have to weave them," she said. "It takes 892 bags to make one mat."
Brewer said they actually had two individuals they were helping who eventually got into a home, and when they did, they reached out and returned the sleeping mats they were given. She said her family really appreciated the fact that the people realized how much work went into the mats, and she said they were able to disinfect them and recycle them to other homeless people.
The newest tote bag
Another tote bag Brewer makes is one for pets, because she said many homeless people have one. She said the Stratham SPCA donates pet food, and they also include bowls, a leash and other pet-related items.
She also said they just started doing a bag geared towards homeless parents with children who they don't live with.
"I was thinking it must be really hard to go visit them when you can't give them anything," Brewer said. "So we decided that we were going to have toys for some people so they can bring a toy to their child and play with it with them."
She said other items like diapers are also given to homeless parents so that they may contribute to their children.
Brewer also includes pamphlets for Families First Health and Support Center, to provide information about healthcare and lodging for homeless individuals. Brewer said Families First can help individuals receive healthcare and gain entry into shelters.
"We actually saw a lot of people going to their mobile unit but we had no idea who they were," she said. "After we spoke to them, we realized that we share a lot of the same philosophies and a non-judgmental approach."
Brewer said they don't strictly serve Strafford County, and that they will go almost anywhere that they hear about a homeless person in need. Additionally, she said that when she had a working a car she would always keep spare bags made in the trunk in case she came across any homeless people while she was out and about.
NH1.com
FARMINGTON — A woman who helps homeless individuals throughout New Hampshire recently lost her wheels, but that hasn't stopped her from continuing to help those in need.
Terry Brewer, of Farmington, has been helping the homeless with "The Homeless Tote Bags" for about a year and a half, with the help of her husband Newell, her sons Gene and Eric and a number of volunteers. But recently she suffered a huge setback when her vehicle broke down beyond repair this past week.
"Over the past six months her car has been torturing her," Karen Wright, a friend and volunteer who bakes goods for the homeless care packages, told NH1 News. "She's been kind of holding it together with duct tape and dental floss, and at this point it's just done."
Brewer said her family, who lives in an apartment and is also dealing with medical costs associated with her husband's terminal cancer, has looked at some vehicles, but nothing was within their price range. Wright said Brewer had been considering taking funds from their winter heating costs to try and afford a car so she could continue her deliveries.
Brewer said that since her vehicle died she has been relying on volunteers who normally help out with donations to give her rides, like Brenda Mee, who gave her a ride to be interviewed by NH1 News.
"Some people that are homeless in this community have also been picking them up from our house, because we've been working with them for so long that we trust them to know our address," she said. "When we had our car running we would go out three, sometimes four times a week."
Despite the setback, Brewer said they will continue to find ways to get the tote bags to the homeless, and that they will even be donating their car to a charity garage to help other struggling families.
"We're going to donate it to Good News Garage, so that they can help some other families, because the junkyard was going to give us a really low price," Brewer said. "Not to say we don't need the money, because we do, but we'd rather it go to them so they can try to fix it or use parts for other vehicles."
Whitney Garland, another friend and volunteer, and Wright both reached out to NH1 News to get the word out about Brewer's car troubles and what she's doing with "The Homeless Tote Bags" because they said she would never ask for the help herself.
"She helps so many people in so many ways, day and night, every day of the week, all year long," Garland said. "And without donations and things like that she has nothing to spare."
'Everybody has the right to eat'
Brewer said her son Gene was the one who came up with the idea for "The Homeless Tote Bags" after he noticed how many homeless people were in the area who didn't seem to have anything. She said that some food pantries in New Hampshire don't allow you to take any food if you don't have a valid address.
"We feel that everybody has the right to eat, so we decided to do this independently," she said.
Brewer said the first time they put together a bag to give out they had no idea where to go, so they went to Portsmouth and ended up meeting a homeless veteran.
"He broke down crying because we gave him a toothbrush," she said. "It really touched us and we couldn't believe that a toothbrush meant so much to a homeless person."
After that, Terry said her son Eric set her up on Facebook, and she also utilized the local farmer's market to get the word out about her endeavor and to gather donations. She said first and foremost her priority is helping people without judgement.
"We have no strings attached to our bags," she said. "We just simply want to help them."
Brewer said they don't look at what factors made a person homeless in the first place, only the fact that they are a person who needs to eat and survive.
"We don't care what the story is. We feel that they have the right to eat and that's the bottom line."
They also do not include any sort of religious materials in their tote bags, because they feel religion doesn't have anything to do with needing food, and if a person wants to go to a church there are plenty around for them to visit.
After getting on Facebook, Brewer said word began to spread about "The Homeless Tote Bags" and donations started to come in. She also said that she checks Facebook pages where people post items they are trying to get rid of for free.
"When I see something free, like clothing or something like that, I'll tell the person what we're doing and see if they're willing to donate to us," she said.
At the moment, Brewer said she is regularly taking care of about a dozen different families with children, some of which are grandparents taking care of their grandchildren who's parents are homeless. She said she also helps about 15 other homeless individuals who camp out in the woods in the area. She said some months they have distributed tote bags to more than 50 homeless individuals.
'Everything has a purpose'
Brewer's tote bags come chock full of the essentials you would expect, including a week's worth of food and basic hygiene products, but they also contain handmade items that are often reusable or perform multiple functions, including the bags themselves.
"We make our bags out of grain bags ourselves from donated bags," she explained. Brewer said that with the help of volunteers, they wash the grain bags and then hand sew them into their final tote bag form.
She said the bags can be used to carry items or as a pillow.
"When they empty the bag, they put their clothing in it and use it as a pillow to sleep at night," Brewer said. She said they try to make items serve multiple purposes because many homeless people don't have a lot of space to carry extra items.
Brewer said individuals can purchase the homemade bags for $5 at the local farmer's market, and the proceeds go towards buying items that don't typically get donated.
Another item included in the bags are a few small cans of fuel that can be ignited and used for cooking. Brewer said they include the fuel to encourage homeless individuals not to start open fires on land they don't own.
"We're always telling them to try and be careful with the environment and not to leave any trash behind," she said.
A farm in Rollinsford donates eggs for the totes, and other food items include snacks, Ramen and canned goods. Brewer said they prefer the cans with "pop tops" because homeless people might not have a can opener, but just in case, they include a military-style can opener.
As for as hygiene products, Brewer said they include the basics like a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shaving cream, razors and toilet paper. She also said that if they are giving the bag to a woman, they will give her enough feminine hygiene products to last an entire cycle, not just a few days.
Brewer said every tote includes a First Aid kit and they also include a prescription pill bottle filled with bandages so they can restock the kit when they run out. She said they ask their volunteers to save old pill bottles because they can be useful for storing smaller items. Brewer said they also try to include bug spray when applicable.
Aside from food and hygiene products, they also provide clothing and shoes when they hear about someone who needs them. Brewer said they also try to provide a pot or a pan and a utensil, so that people may cook easier.
Other key items Brewer said they provide are emergency tube tents that are lightweight and easy to transport in the summer, and in the winter they distribute tents that are lined with emergency blankets and are able to withstand temperatures below 0 degrees.
"We also try to give people living in the woods vests during hunting season so they can be safe," Brewer said.
Also included are comforters and blankets, and Brewer said they try to make sure every person has their own sleeping bag.
Another handmade item Brewer includes in the totes are woven sleeping mats made from recycled grocery bags, and she said they learned the technique from someone on the other side of the globe.
"Sam, our friend in Australia, gave us the blueprints and even made a video to show us how to do it because I didn't know how to weave," Brewer said. the only difference between her mats and Sam's, is that the straps to tie up the mat aren't permanently attached to it.
"We make our straps like a rope, so that the person can use it as a clothesline, because many homeless people use rivers and streams to do laundry," she said, adding that they provide clothespins as well.
The mats themselves provide a decent amount of cushion and are extremely lightweight and portable. Brewer said a lot of time and effort goes into the production of even just one mat.
"You take the bags and you cut them into strips and loop them together to form what looks kind of like yarn, and then you have to weave them," she said. "It takes 892 bags to make one mat."
Brewer said they actually had two individuals they were helping who eventually got into a home, and when they did, they reached out and returned the sleeping mats they were given. She said her family really appreciated the fact that the people realized how much work went into the mats, and she said they were able to disinfect them and recycle them to other homeless people.
The newest tote bag
Another tote bag Brewer makes is one for pets, because she said many homeless people have one. She said the Stratham SPCA donates pet food, and they also include bowls, a leash and other pet-related items.
She also said they just started doing a bag geared towards homeless parents with children who they don't live with.
"I was thinking it must be really hard to go visit them when you can't give them anything," Brewer said. "So we decided that we were going to have toys for some people so they can bring a toy to their child and play with it with them."
She said other items like diapers are also given to homeless parents so that they may contribute to their children.
Brewer also includes pamphlets for Families First Health and Support Center, to provide information about healthcare and lodging for homeless individuals. Brewer said Families First can help individuals receive healthcare and gain entry into shelters.
"We actually saw a lot of people going to their mobile unit but we had no idea who they were," she said. "After we spoke to them, we realized that we share a lot of the same philosophies and a non-judgmental approach."
Brewer said they don't strictly serve Strafford County, and that they will go almost anywhere that they hear about a homeless person in need. Additionally, she said that when she had a working a car she would always keep spare bags made in the trunk in case she came across any homeless people while she was out and about.
Organizer and beneficiary
Karen Wright
Organizer
Farmington, NH
Terry Brewer
Beneficiary
