Back in July, I received an email from Christine at the Safelight Shelter. She let me know that their supply of spa bags was getting low. I looked up the project history, and found that our last delivery was in January from the 2024 campaign. It was delayed due to Hurricane Helene. So, I went to the storage room to see what I had. There were 10 canvas bags, some case sets, cards and a few lotions and soaps. I pulled all that out and made a list of what was needed, then headed to the store to purchase items to make up 10 bags.

I lay out 10 case sets and started adding the things to them, once again coordinating colors as much as possible. The little scrubbies came in several colors, and matched up nicely with the case sets. I had lovely cards from the Heritage Hills Stampers, along with more from Lenora. Each set got two cards.

I stuffed the cosmetic bag with the cards, nail hardener, lip balm, and an emery board. The tissues were put those cases. Then the sunglasses were laid out.

I loaded the bags with face cream, hair treatments, facial cleansing cloths, pedicure kits, and body lotion. They also got a bar of homemade lavendar soap sent by Liz H. The stuffed case sets were added.

Glitter tissue was put on top to make the bag look like a gift. These ten bags were delivered to the shelter to get them through as far as they would go. I let them know that there would be a delay in starting again, as I just didn’t have the energy for it at that time.

Now, it is time to see if the support is still there to do this project one more year. In previous years, we have come together as a community to assemble spa bags for new residents of the shelter. These are not basic items like toothpaste or shampoo, as those items are provided by local churches. The spa bags are special gifts. They go a long way to making a difficult transition a little better, providing much needed support for residents who are going through a terrible time in their lives, betrayed by someone they loved, fleeing abusive situations with their children and virtually nothing else. Thankfully, most of us will never know the depth of desperation or the need to summon the immense courage it takes to leave an abusive situation. Residents say the bags help them feel special and cared for, at a time when support was needed most. Read more about Safelight on their website.

If you’d like to get involved, here is how you can help. First, if you are a sewist, make case sets using my free pattern. Download it here – Safelight Case Sets. The pattern shows how to make the cases with velcro, but if you’d rather put in a zipper, feel free to do so. When choosing your fabrics, please choose bright geometrics, novelty fabrics, fun and happy prints, elegant orientals or pretty florals. Please stay away from sports prints, granny calicos, ugly prints you don’t like or solid colors. These victims need something fun or pretty to make them smile, so choose something you would like to receive and be proud to use. The men’s bags don’t have case sets, so please no masculine prints like cars, fishing, basketball or other sports. Please do not use seasonal (fall, winter) or holiday (Christmas, Halloween) prints, they need to be usable every day year round. We want the cases to be fun to receive, with happy, charming prints to give the residents a smile.   

Second, the bags include cards that stamping and non-stamping readers help me make. In my mind, and the counselors at Safelight agree, the cards are really the most important part of the gift, providing encouragement and support as these women (and sometimes men) take a big step to getting their lives back. The cards can be read over and over as residents need lifting of their spirits. Many residents put them on their bathroom mirrors so they see the encouragement every morning. Cards can be completely handmade, or augmented purchased cards. They can be as creative as you like, from very ornate to clean and simple, whatever suits your fancy.  Inside, the message should be one of encouragement, strengthening of their resolve, and confirmation that they have chosen the right path. The only request is to keep them uplifting in tone, and not to use a religious theme. There are many different religions represented in the residents, and we won’t know who is getting what.

Inside the card you can hand write, stamp, or use your computer printer to make an uplifting message. Please make this more than just “thinking of you”, they should be encouraging and supportive, something that will be read over and over. Please sign them in some way. You can use your first name, or just say “a friend”, or “a friend you haven’t met”.

Cards can also be made just using scraps of papers, magazine images, photographs, stickers, handwritten sentiments, or a computer printed greeting or poem. We make them in the A2 envelope size, which is half of an 8-1/2×11-inch cardstock sheet folded in half. The goal is two cards per bag. Please make them all appropriate for women. We only need a few for men, and I’ll do those myself.

You could copy a poem, or make up your own sentiment.

Please decorate the envelopes with stamps or stickers or colorful doodles, and address generically, like “To Someone Special” or “Just For You”.

You can also use purchased cards, embellished with stickers, and a handwritten message of support inside. When shipping cards, please stack the envelope with the card but do not put it inside. I will do that to ensure that the cards are mixed up between bags, and verify that the inside sentiments aren’t the same, since many of us have the same stamps.

Third, monetary donations from readers cover the cost of the good-quality canvas bags and the goodies inside. Ordering the same canvas bags ensures that everyone has the same size bag, and they all look similar. I buy in bulk so I can make a little go a long way, but this project is getting higher in cost each year. We do upscale, special goodies like facial masks, pedicure kits, hairbrushes, hair treatments and similar things. The items chosen are more spa-like, special and full size. Each bag is now costs over $16 each, and that is with wholesale purchasing where I can. So, we need to raise $1600 to complete 100 bags for women to last for the next year.

Unfortunately, there are sometimes men who are abused and at the shelter. So, I make a few bags appropriate for a man. These have men’s products, aviator sunglasses in black purchased cases, socks and more in a black duffel or backpack style bag. I assemble 5 of these. The duffel bags cost a bit more, so the men’s bags run around $18. So, we need $90 to provide five for the shelter for the year.

When the bags are all packed up, I put a sheet of tissue in the top so the recipient knows it is a gift.

If you would like to help, please send your monetary donations, case sets and cards to me at the address below. Please include your name and email address inside so I can let you know your donation arrived. If you send a check, please make it to me personally as I do not have a bank account in the name of the project. Or you can use Paypal to send money to a friend at my email frommycarolinahome at gmail dot com.

Carole Carter
PO Box 524
Mountain Home, NC 28758

The deadline for the project is October 1, 2025. I will make bags as case sets, cards and money come in. I’d like to have it done before the end of October.

So, are you ready to start sewing and stamping? Can you help with the much needed monetary donations?