Shelley Utia raised a wonderful friend of mine who passed away in recent years. Her son Ben was extraordinary and brilliant, a beautiful oddball who was also kind and resilient. The first time I ever heard about Shelley and Levi's Bags of Blessings (Bolsas de Bendicions), it was Ben who said with a proud smile, "My Mom and her husband give Bliss Bags to hungry people in Peru!" At the time, I registered what he was saying as a fun and awesome project, then when I stumbled upon the GoFundMe my immediate inclination is to pledge support. Not only do I love the idea but Ben, Shelley's son, was one of our sites original sponsors. I want to do what I can to pay it forward and promote Bolsas de Bendicions!
The way it works is that Shelley raises money while she's in the states, and then she sends or brings that money to Levi who lives in Pucallpa, Peru. With the money raised, Levi and his son Josue go to the markets and buy large quantities of various foods and non-perishables. They gather foods like rice, sugar, potatoes, cooking oil, and weigh them into bags along with other items that would be counted such as eggs and garlic. They also add toiletries, packs of detergent, etc. in a separate bag, and then give away the sets of two bags to families in need. Levi scouts for locations to distribute the Bags of Blessings, choosing from pockets of impoverished communities in Pucallpa, Peru, that are still developing.
Bags of Blessings is a family operation, friends and relatives help with the distribution and I'm proud to have donated a small amount as well. Also known as Bolsas de Bendiciones, they hope to distribute their Bliss Bags to at least 85 families this year. The fundraiser goal is $2,125, at $25 per family, it's totally feasible that we can help them reach their goal. All proceeds will go to feeding hungry families in Pucallpa, Peru, and if more money is raised the program can be expanded to the Cerro (hilly region) in Villa El Salvador within Lima, Peru. Please donate to help me return the support that Ben so kindly extended to our network, and because it's a really sweet (unofficial) non-profit effort put in good will by the Utia's.
This promotional blog post was written by Anthony DeLuca of AnthonyJosephDeLuca.com, and donated to be promoted on RhapsodicGlobal.org!