Woman’s Outreach Blesses Others With Much Needed Supplies
Woman’s Outreach Blesses Others With Much Needed Supplies
By Tia Carol Jones
Archana Liggins started BAG (Blessings and Grace) Lady Outreach in 2019. Before that, for her 38th Birthday she wanted to make 38 blessing bags and distribute them. She ended up doing 50. By the time she turned 40, she became known for making blessing bags and distributing them.
From her work at a food bank, she knew there was a need for families who were experiencing food insecurity and knew there was also a hygiene insecurity. BAG Lady Outreach eventually evolved into blessing bags being given in handbags. During COVID, Liggins had to change how she distributed the bags. Instead of having large distribution, she moved to doing unisex bags and healthy hygiene habit bags with hygiene products that included masks and hand sanitizer.
BAG Lady Outreach gets donations from BOMBAS, which provides socks to shelters, schools, street outreach teams, overnight shelters, rehabilitation centers and medical service professionals. In addition to the socks, the blessing bags include hygiene items such as tissue, hand sanitizer, deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste. For women, the bags include jewelry, makeup and feminine hygiene products.
Liggins is happy that she is able to give people things they truly need but don’t have access to. She knows people’s hygiene is important to them, even when they might not be able to purchase the products themselves for whatever reason.
“It always feels good, just to hear the feedback from the person. People who have access to the items, take advantage of having these things. When you bless people who don’t have these things, they are always grateful,” Liggins said.
One thing BAG Lady Outreach has started doing is adding a note with the blessing bags. Liggins works with different organizations and has heard the positive feedback from people who have received the notes along with their blessing bags. She said it adds an extra level of humanity, which is what she set out to do. She wants to restore the dignity to people who have a need.
Liggins estimates that she has given away thousands of bags since she first started the organization. At one point, she was delivering thousands of bags to families. There also are BAG Lady Outreach Toiletry lockers in schools, libraries and in police departments. She placed the lockers in schools because she wanted to provide a safe space for students to be able to get the essential products they need.
“In talking to a lot of the teachers, they would say sometimes when kids had things going on at home, such as the water is cut off, electricity or gas is shut off, they will come to the school to take care of some of their hygiene stuff. If the student was in need, they could go to a teacher or a counselor who could direct them to go to the locker and get the things they need,” Liggins said.
Liggins was named Nexstar “Woman of the Year” in 2020 for the work that she does. She also has appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show and has been recognized by Meta during Women’s History Month. She said she doesn’t do the work for the recognition, she does it because she loves the community and she is always grateful for the love and support of the community.
People can support the work that the BAG Lady Outreach is doing with financial support, in-kind donations, volunteering to make the bags or write the notes. For more information about BAG Lady Outreach, visit www.bagladyoutreach.org.
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