Roots Worth Tending
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Winter 2025 · Delivered

The Backpack Project

The first drive. A backpack of practical winter care for each person — warm layers, hygiene, first aid, food — assembled from bulk orders and handed out by hand in a church parking lot on a Friday afternoon in November.

The plan was to have everything ordered by November 10th. It was ordered inside a week.

By the numbers

Backpacks
24Each one a full kit
Items per bag
~45Bags varied a little
Ordering time
<1 wkAgainst a 3-week target
Handed out
Nov 14Vision Church, Everett

What happened

  1. The list went up on October 19th

    Forty-five items, in the order they'd be bought, with a Throne wishlist for buying items directly and Venmo or Cash App for cash. The promise from the start was screenshots of every purchase and a running total.

  2. It funded in under a week

    The target was to have everything ordered by November 10th, roughly three weeks out. Everything was ordered inside seven days.

  3. The list grew mid-drive

    Contributions came in for menstrual products, neck gaiters and water bottles, and the Cycle Complete upgrade was added to the list the same day — enough pads and liners to move from short-term relief to a full cycle.

  4. Packing, then handing out

    Bags were filled in waves as supplies arrived. The finished backpacks went out on Friday November 14th at 4pm, in the back parking lot of Vision Church Full Circle Ministry on California Street.

What was in it

The forty-five item list was the plan. What actually went into each bag depended on what people bought and what arrived in time, so the finished bags varied a little from that list. Rather than reprint the plan, here is a single bag's worth of supplies, laid out before packing.

One backpack's worth of supplies laid out on the carpet before packing. A grey backpack stands upright against a wooden chair at the top; below it, rows of gear spread across a light blanket — packaged socks, orange hand warmers, snack packets, hygiene and first-aid items in clear zip bags, a folded red thermal layer, and a pair of flame-print boxers. A black dog with tan markings lies on the carpet to the right, leash on, looking up toward the camera. The photo is taken from above, looking straight down at the whole spread. The overall feel is abundant and homey — a large pile of practical care assembled by hand in a living room.
One bag's supplies before packing — warm layers, foot care, hygiene, first aid, food, and menstrual supplies. (The dog was not included.)

The post that started it

Published October 19th, 2025. Reproduced as written.

At a Seattle bus stop, a man next to me wrung out his socks, put them in his bag, and pulled on a dry pair.

We said nothing, but I learned a lesson that day: fresh socks are basically gold.

That moment stayed with me. This winter I'm putting together backpack care packages for people living outside in Everett. Each bag will have practical warmth — socks, hygiene, gloves, and simple comfort items — I'm buying them one item at a time for everyone.

Every dollar goes straight to gear — no overhead, no middleman.

I'll post screenshots showing what's been purchased and running totals of what's come in. Everything that's sent in goes straight to the next item on the list. All bulk buys are the closest available pack size; any extras beyond 24 roll into the next run.

— Roots Worth Tending, October 19th 2025