Great Bend Post
Dec 27, 2024

St. Joseph students in Ellinwood donate money to Rest Easy Sleeping Bag Project

Posted Dec 27, 2024 5:00 PM
Sandra Burton purchased 22 Christmas blankets as reward and reminder to St. Joseph students in Ellinwood of their good deed.
Sandra Burton purchased 22 Christmas blankets as reward and reminder to St. Joseph students in Ellinwood of their good deed.

By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post

Warm, secure, cozy, safe. Saturday was officially the first day of winter though many Kansas nights have already dipped well below the freezing mark. For the homeless in the Barton County area, that cold weather makes those feelings of warmth and coziness nearly impossible.

In November, Sandra Burton with Sandra Burton Massage in Great Bend announced a partnership with Live Like Jesus Today Ministries for the Rest Easy Sleeping Bag Project. The goal: raise enough money to purchase 1,000 sleeping bags by Dec. 31 to distribute to the needy. As part of a donation drive, Burton recently collected $194, mostly in crumpled one-dollar and five-dollar bills, from students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Ellinwood.

"That particular donation crossed our halfway point last week," Burton said. "We have about 100 bags on the way in so we're within reach of the goal of 1,000 by the end of the year."

Students were not allowed to ask their parents for money to donate but still generated nearly $200. Prior to her visit to Ellinwood, Burton purchased 22 Christmas throws to take to each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders.

Paper or coins, the $194 donated by St. Joseph students will go toward the purchase of sleeping bags for those in need.
Paper or coins, the $194 donated by St. Joseph students will go toward the purchase of sleeping bags for those in need.

"I chose the blankets because I wanted the kids to know that every time they warmed themselves with the blanket, it would remind them of the fact that they had warmed someone else with their donation," Burton said.

Buzz Birney with Live Like Jesus Today Ministries is handling the distribution of the sleeping bags though Burton recently accompanied him on a trip to a camp near the Arkansas River.

"It's one thing to talk about helping people who don't have homes," she said. "It's a completely different thing to see how they live."

For a tax-deductible donation of $17.50, one sleeping bag may be purchased. An entire case of 10 bags can be purchased for a $175 donation. Donations of any amount will make a difference.

There are several ways to donate: Checks may be made payable to LLJT for a donation receipt. Cash or checks may be dropped off at First Kansas Bank, 4001 10th Street in Great Bend, or mailed to LLJT, PO Box 154, Great Bend, KS  67530. Donations are also accepted through the Live Like Jesus Today Ministries webpage by CLICKING HERE and typing "sleeping bags" in the special instruction box. If using the website, consider adding an additional $3 per case due to PayPal's processing fee.