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By Thomas Sellers Jr.
Last week, Sigee packaged several items into bags to hand out later this month at the annual Soul Ministries Thanksgiving meal on Nov. 27.
Throughout the summer, the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for ALS swept across America. Celebrities, athletes, politicians and everyday citizens took to the Internet to dump gallons of icy water on their heads raising donations at least $100 to the cause. And at the end of most videos, a challenged was issued to someone to continue the program and raise more money. This fall and winter, Millington community activist Debra Sigee is hoping a new challenge can gain similar momentum starting in Flag City. Recently, Sigee packaged 100 Bags of Blessings filled with hygiene products to donate this holiday season for those in need. For years Sigee has been supporter of community causes and grant writer donating items from food to shoes. Her latest effort was sparked by a relative who sent her a challenge through social media. “My cousin issued the challenge and encourage us to get 10 other people involved,” Sigee said. “It was a challenge to bless someone during the holiday season. We have so many in need from the working poor to the homeless. These bags filled with hygiene products are some of the things overlooked.”
Below Sigee outlined the process of filling her 100 bags and when she will be handing out the blessings.
Why I put together 100 Bags of Blessings… On Sept. 18, my cousin Angel Clayton from Omaha, Nebraska tagged me and others on Facebook with a video challenging us to a 100 Bags of Blessings with five items in the bag for the homeless. I took the challenge because I volunteer every Thursday with Carol Jenkins founder of Soul Ministries a program under the 501(c) 3 non-profit Dream Interfaith Ministries founded by Mrs. Irene Beach. Soul Ministries provides a hot nutritional meal to the homeless, seniors, and all others in need of a nutritional meal in the Millington area weekly on Thursdays. I saw the challenge as a way to help my community in need with a blessing of hygiene items and what better time to have my 100 bags of Blessing ready to give away than on Thanksgiving Day. I am donating my 100 Bags of Blessings that contains hands sanitizer, face towel, tissue, soap, mini first aid kit, toothpaste and a toothbrush to Soul Ministries to give away to the homeless or anyone in need of hygiene items during Soul Ministries Second Annual Thanksgiving Feast at Baker community Center on Nov. 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. As I was purchasing items to put in my 100 Bags of Blessings I knew it would be expensive, but I was determine to complete my challenge. God is awesome because friends and strangers start giving me $5 and up to $20 to help me buy my items. I walked into Walgreen’s one day looking for items that came in multiples in a package and as I was telling the store manager Cindy Nicholson about my 100 Bags of Blessings Challenge by having that conversation Walgreens donated 100 mini first aid kits. That same day Cato’s manager Laura Bondurant donated some Cato Totes and small mirrors. It was a rewarding feeling knowing a few of my blessing bags where going inside of a beautiful tote and all the blessing bags would contain a first aid kit that I did not think to put in my blessing bag.
I knew I was about to spend more than $100 to purchase the toothpaste and the remainder of toothbrushes that I needed for my blessing bags. When God touches your spirit all you can do is be obedient and that is what I did when I went to Dr. Ludden’s office, my dentist and talked with his staff in hopes they had some toothpaste and toothbrush they could donate. By being obedient, the office Colgate representative donated toothpaste and toothbrushes because of that Blessing my 100 Bags of Blessings are complete and ready to be given during Soul Ministries Second Annual Thanksgiving Feast and if they are not all given away that day I am pleased knowing the remaining bags will be available during Soul Ministries weekly hot nutritional meal program on Thursdays at Baker Community Center.
