Comfort Care Kits Contents and Advice - Non-Fiction Writing Contest Submission by Janet Spencer, Catastropharian Extraordinaire.
As a catastropharian, I’ve undertaken quite a lot of professional training in order to help assist my mid-size community through whatever
disasters may befall. I live in a seismic area which is prone to large forest fires, and is situated in the middle of one of the largest nuclear missile fields on the planet.
So right off the bat, I need to be prepared for earthquakes, fires, and nuclear Armageddon. To be on the safe side, I also prepare for other disasters such as blizzards, pandemics, EMPs, and meteorites, all of which are capable of blasting our comfortable way of life to bits.
As part of my training, I’ve taken a number of Red Cross classes. One course taught me the nuts-and-bolts of mass shelter care. In that class, an exercise we undertook was to make a list of small items that would make people inhabiting a Red Cross shelter feel more comfortable.
If they’d just lost their home and all of their possessions to forest fire or earthquake, and had come into our care with nothing but the clothes on their back and a heart full of anguish, what could we give them that would ease their suffering just a little bit? And so we made up our list: a comb or hairbrush; a wash cloth and towel and soap; a packet of tissues; a book to read.
Some time later, being addicted to what my husband calls “disaster porn”, I watched the movie “The Day After”. This film depicts the
struggles of the people in a town in Kansas as they try to cope with the aftermath of a nuclear war. In one scene, a rancher comes out of his basement after the bomb to survey the damage. He finds a group of refugees camped on his land, huddled around a campfire in misery.
Instead of saying something helpful or hopeful like, “Go on up to the house, my wife will fix you some soup” or “You can find better shelter in my barn” or “There’s an evacuation center being set up in town” he says, “GET OFF MY LAND!” whereupon he is promptly shot dead by one of the miserable refugees. (Sorry for the spoiler if you haven’t already seen the film.)
That scene really affected me.
You see, I am indeed a survivalist; I hoard food and other useful items; I study survival manuals; I print out guides for dealing with radioactive fallout; I surf survival websites; and I keep detailed lists of my preparations. But I’m not one of those people who intend to don my camouflage, grab my AK-47, and guard my supply of ramen noodles to the death.
Contrarily, my preparations are geared towards being able to help as many people as I possibly can on the day after the disaster. Here’s my
elderly neighbors, who are dear people but totally unprepared; here’s my best friend, who secretly thinks I’m nuts for being a prepper; here’s my brother who is so busy raising four children that he doesn’t have the time or money to prepare; here’s the bed-and-breakfast across the street with seven bedrooms full of out-of-town visitors on any given night.
Which of these people am I going to feel comfortable turning away? If I ever come across a miserable group of refugees huddled around a fire, I want to be able to take them in, not send them away.
So I dug out the list from the Red Cross class. And I started thinking about other things that I could set aside in advance so that if a group
of disaster victims ever turns to me for shelter, I can take them in to my own home and hand them a little bundle full of comfort. Thus began mycollection of Comfort Care Kits.
I live in a fairly large house and estimate I could shelter about ten people for a long-term stay. Therefore, I decided to assemble ten Comfort Care Kits and have them pre-packaged and ready to go.
It started simply. First, because I live in a cold climate, I wanted everybody to be warm. So into each kit went a hat, a headband, gloves,
socks, and those little shake-and-heat pocket warmers. Because noses will be running and wounds may be bleeding, I included a hanky and a bandana.
To take care of personal needs, I included a hairbrush, comb, barrettes and bobby pins; soap in a soap dish; a wash cloth and hand towel; a
razor and mirror; deodorant, chapstick, toothbrush and toothpaste; shampoo and lotion; nail clippers and a packet of tissues. Because water may be in short supply, I tossed in a pack of wet wipes and hand sanitizer. I included maxi pads and tampons, not only for female hygiene, but also because they make excellent bandages.
For first aid, each kit also got a selection of bandages and first aid tape; a pain reliever; a laxative and an anti-diarrheal; a tube of first aid cream; a small bottle full of vitamins; a sleeping aid to soothe troubled minds; and a packet of No-Doz in case the situation warrants staying awake.
For sheer utility, I tossed in a cigarette lighter, a pocket knife, a flashlight with spare batteries, a light stick, shoelaces (with a thousand uses!), safety pins and a sewing kit; a pad of paper and a pen and pencil; a sturdy Hefty bag and a draw-string laundry bag for keeping
personal items bundled together; and a battery operated travel clock in order to tell time when electricity is out and cell phones don’t work.
Thinking of the guests in the bed-and-breakfast next door, I added a map of the city and a map of the state to help them get where they’re going, whether it’s to the hospital or to a relative’s home in another town.
For entertainment, every kit got a deck of cards as well as a paperback book explaining rules of card games, whether it be “150 ways to play solitaire” or “casino games made easy” or “Hoyle’s Rules of Games” or “how to win at bridge” or “best poker strategies”.
Every kit has a magazine and a paperback book which can be swapped around after being read, and everyone gets several puzzle books such as crosswords, word searches, or Sudoku. I included a needlepoint or cross stitch kit project in each package, as well as some small game such as Uno or Boggle or Yahtzee. (I was sure to include the rules for such games.)
Several of the kits contain crayons or colored pencils with pads of paper to draw on in case children are along for the disaster.
Although I have food stockpiled in my home, I thought it was worthwhile to include a few small treats in each kit, so I tossed in a tin of
Altoid mints, a roll of Lifesavers, a couple packs of gum, and a few strips shrink-wrapped jerky.
Most importantly, perhaps, each kit got a radio which is not only good for entertainment and morale, but is also essential for keeping posted on disaster developments. Each radio comes with its own set of headphones for private listening, as well as extra batteries.
You may think this sounds like a terribly expensive project, but it really wasn’t. I sifted through the junk streams at my local flea
markets, thrift shops, and garage sales for most of it. I hit the day-after-holiday sales for steep discounts on some items, such as rolls
of holiday Lifesavers on sale for 75% off the day after Christmas, or 50% off Halloween light sticks on November 1^st .
Many of the items came from area dollar stores, or Costco, or a supermarket bargain bin. It was something that took quite a while to assemble, happening over a period of months as I slowly collected items while continuing to think up more things to include.
You may also think that these Comfort Care Kits are large and bulky but that’s also not the case. At first they were each easily contained in a two-gallon ziplock baggie. Then I decided a sturdier container was warranted and I began to pick up small size travel suitcases commonly called ‘train cases’ for a dollar or two at the Goodwill or Salvation Army – the type of suitcases that are about a foot wide and 8 inches deep, designed to hold your hair dryer and your electric razor and all your personal needs while on the road.
I was easily able to store ten such travel cases on a shelf in a closet, where they will be readily accessible should they ever be needed.
I continue to add to the contents of my Comfort Care Kits as my budget allows. Still on my list is a pouch of tobacco, which will bring
enormous comfort to those suffering from nicotine withdrawal (thereby keeping the peace in the household), and will provide non-smokers with a valuable bargaining chip.
For the utmost in post-apocalyptic home entertainment, a pocket-size 2-gigabyte MP3 player will hold /hours/ worth of music or free downloadable audio books (available at Librivox.org or your local library), and can be purchased for about $15 each.
A bottle of chlorophyll (/not/ chloroform!) will definitely improve the atmosphere of the household if the toilets aren’t working and many people are pooping in an enclosed area. Chlorophyll – which is the stuff that makes plants green – takes away the odor and would be a valuable addition to the kits if we’re all huddling in my basement bunker waiting for the nuclear fallout to dissipate.
If you decide to assemble Comfort Care Kits of your own, then I invite you to watch the movie “The Day After” for inspiration. When you come to the scene where actor John Cullum crawls out of his basement to survey the damage, and comes across huddled refugees looking miserable, think of how good it would feel if you were able to say, “Go on up to the house. I have some things set aside for you up there.”
Have anything to add or other ideas – please share in the comments below…
{ 18 comments }
Mrs. Spencer, that was a great article. Thanks for the ideas. You are obviously a very caring and generous person. I have set aside some food, water, and gear for charity, but had not thought of making up kits.
Maybe kits are the way to handle charity. Got me thinking!
This was a really good post on some things I had not thought of or considered. Moral can be the difference between survival or not, and little things like the items you include can have a great impact on moral.
One thing I would add would be a survival checklist, perhaps laminated. Since most of the people you will be handing these kits to have probably not even thought of what to do in a survival situation, having some sort of guide or tip sheet could help them, and free your time from having to answer basic questions.
Great post.
I was amused by your term “catastropharian”. I had never heard that term before but I love it.
I, too, have a number of kits assembled for family members who don’t share my philosophy of preparedness. These kits include the following: a solar/crank radio with NOAA and batteries, a couple of basic flashlights and batteries, a week’s worth of MREs, a month’s worth of freeze-dried entrees, a water purifier, a portable CB radio and batteries, a first aid kit, Jack Spigarelli’s book “Crisis Preparedness Handbook…”, plastic sheeting and duct tape, Tyvek coveralls with hood, respirator and goggles, CD-738 and CD-742 dosimeters and charger with instructions, amongst other things. These kits are a little more elaborate and are a bit more costly than the ones you have put together, but these are for family that will be there for me if things get really bad. I have tried to persuade them (and there are only a few who won’t come on board) to set up their own preparedness items, but they have ignored my suggestions for about 30 years or more. I polled one of my sisters a couple of months ago and asked her if she had a flashlight, batteries and a first aid kit in the house and she said “no”.
Personally, I think it’s a good idea to have at least on or two kits of some sort that can be given out to family, friends or neighbors in the event of an emergency.
Its been written that if a person had a choice of ONE metal implement, a wise choice would be a metal pot. Its used to purify water, cook foods and is extremely hard to duplicate if had to be done in the wild. So I would pick a metal pot as one of your comfort items – it can be used as a container for your comfort kit. Can be found very inexpensively at Salvation Army or dollar stores, a 2 quart w/ lid would be very handy.
Very good hearted of you attempting to help others in a time of crisis. I hope they are of good use to them.
For loved ones you expect will show up at your door, these are a great idea. For the typical stranger you won’t be bringing into your home you’ve included a bit too much. Trust me, you do NOT want to bring unknown refugees into the security of your home post disaster, anymore than you do now.
Our church regularly makes comfort kits to send to places where people are stuck in shelters. We have sent thousands to flood victims in the eastern states this year, and boxes of them are still going to Pakistan right now.
They are far less complete than what you describe, but contain a number of basics to keep life decent. You’d be surprised, we get the most comments on the rolls of livesavers candy we include. Just a little something to make someone smile for a moment. (The manufacturer gives us a discount because of what we use them for, and buy so many.)
I’ll have to disagree with this post as being anything but fantasy with a total lack of common sense. You might as well make up billboards and say “Refugee center right here, Free FOOD. Loot Us while you’re at it”. I find using the phrase “I hoard food” appalling in your piece. If you truly believe that putting away food for your family and VERY close friends is considered Hoarding – then stop doing it and become something else except preparedness related. You are NOT a survivalist, you are one of those new age ‘preppers’ who only looks at the sunny happy side of prepping and mock the possible bad things that other true survivalists also prepare for.
> To tell complete strangers who are a) trespassing on your land, b) have shot/killed your farm animal and eating it *yes I’ve seen the movie* to just invite them up to your house? What kinds of diseases/sickness they might have that could be transmitted, what ill intentions will they have if any, how many of their friends will they have or send, what if you give them that comfort package and they demand MORE? With the welfare mentality of more then 50% of the population today, more is going to be demanded in times of crisis, not less.
> Are you really going to put your own family in risk of danger but yet ‘feel good’ in a touchy feely type of way by handing out these packages? Seriously, if you feel you need to do something like this, you make these items available to the local church/aid station away from YOUR HOME, not at your front door. Is your family safety more or less important to you then you “feeling good”? Don’t throw that “It’s the Christian thing to do” either in a reply. By bringing total strangers to your door to hand out family supplies that may possibly put your own family in danger is anything but ‘being Christian’.
Hello, the real Jason here.
I have to agree with this Jason’s assessment. The comfort care kits are a good idea but best given to a centralized aid station for disbursement – why on earth do you want to invite potential trouble into your home? That is simply stupid, romantic sounding on some level I guess but naive.
If you want the credit or accolades for helping your fellow human being, just write on the outside of each bag – “Thoughtfully prepared for you by Janet Spencer – Catastropharian Extraordinaire”.
I apologize but think this socialist thinking disqualifies you from being a “survivalist”.
After Christ was crucified, His disciples evaded martyrdom. There is no shame in protecting & providing for your loved ones.
A good item for a ‘comfort kit’ are those magneto flashlights that you have to shake to charge up. They’re not very bright, but they don’t use batteries, are generally water-resistant, and you can find them at the flea market for a couple of dollars. Second J.r. Guerra’s idea about the metal pot, also, you can get free 1,2,3,4,&5 gallon buckets from donut shops, ice cream stores, bakeries, etc. for use as storage containers, and refugees can find good use of it as a water bucket.
You & yours will be first on the menu!
In a survival situation there are only three types of people; screwors, screwes, & screwes in waiting.
I didn’t realize that in order to be considered a “survivalist” meant you needed to be a misanthrope too. I really didn’t see her ideas of the comfort packs as some sort of socialist ideal, but instead as tools to help diffuse what could become a desperate situation.
I won’t speak for her, but I can see those packs as a difference between a violent confrontation with a desperate father trying to get food for his family of 4, and a grateful father for the small gift of a few supplies. It seems obvious that if she were to distribute those packs, that she would be discriminatory about who she would give them to. The gang of bikers wielding chains would be met with a shotgun, not a comfort pack. But a couple with 2 kids who got caught unprepared is a different story. Is it riskier to help? Probably. On the other hand, you just might gain an ally, even if it just in the form of information about what is going on “outside”.
Another argument for the extra packs would be the degree of whatever the disaster is. I don’t know her area, but a bad storm could knock out services for a while, and being able to help someone would be better then treating everyone like they were a gang extra from the Road Warrior.
I guess it comes down to how each individual prepares. Some prepare to lock up the steel shutters and place the rifles out the gun ports, whereas others prepare by having the ability to help others. It isn’t my place to say which is right or wrong for each individual. For me – I will see to my family’s safety and needs first, but also have extras so that if the situation warrants it, I can help someone should I decide it is in my family’s best interest to do so. I may help the family of four, but decide to send the 2 guys who give me a bad feeling down the road after closing the steel shutters.
Guess to some that means I am not a survivalist either. I think I can live with that assessment.
Rick,
There is a vast difference between protecting your family and being misanthrope however, I can see how some get confused. I was addressing the Polly Anna, we are the world naivete versus the survivalist claim contradiction I picked up in the post.
Sure, when some temporary SHTF event occurs (forest fire, earthquake, tornado etc) I can see value in that type of outreach in fact, we housed 2 families we knew for a couple of weeks when wild fires caused their evacuation a few years ago.
But, there is not a chance I would allow any stranger to encroach on my property because it defies logic & or discernment. I am friendly, generous and helpful but will NEVER allow my situation to be sized up because it is just plain stupid or incredibly naive to which I am neither.
Obviously, you have no idea how people respond or react when desperate & want more than what you have to offer – I’ve lived in it and watched best friend get murdered by an unassuming, harmless looking guy – a guy who first saw a group who had more than he had and came in, under the cover of darkness to take stuff of questionable value and did his deed when caught.
All could have been prevented if we had exercised a better survivalist mentality but then again we were all 19-20 years old at the time and did not know much better.
So if someone wants to live in a bubble and set up a little SHTF lemonade stand and pass out bags of goodies, more power to them. But as for me and mine, we’ll be elsewhere & under the radar.
Jason,
If my earlier comment implied any disrespect towards you or other who commented, I did not mean that. I too will be wary of strangers, and even of friends, when a major catastrophe hits us in a way that the norms of civilization have broken down. It just seemed to me that the author of the article was getting unfairly accused of being naive based on facts not in evidence but instead solely on the premise that she was some sort of socialist idealist who was going to hand out survival kits indiscriminately to anyone with a pulse. Perhaps my accusation of misanthrope was a little harsh, but when someone is told that they are not true survivalists simply because they want to be prepared to offer assistance in case the situation warrants it strikes me as being a little cliquish.
The point I take away from the article is simply to put some thought into how I am going to handle strangers and friends who are going to be desperate. Will I meet everyone muzzle first, or will I be prepared to alleviate someone’s desperation, thus de-escalating a potential violent encounter if for no other reason then to get them further down the road away from my family. Since I have never lived through an end of days scenario, or even a major survival event, part of my preparation is to try to think through scenarios ahead of time, and to prepare accordingly. Her article, to me, was simply a thought exercise and tips on how she prepares to solve the problem. I don’t judge her tips as being wrong or right solutions, just one solution. As individuals we need to come up with our own solutions, and those solutions will be different. In that I think we can agree.
Jason, I totally agree. There are alot of people out there that take advantage of others in todays world. I can imagine what they’ll be like when everyone is tired, hungry, scared and desperate!
Assuming that the people you help don’t screw you over, what do you do when you run low on food? Do you continue feding everyone or do you try to move them on to save whats left for the people you love? There are going to be difficult decisions ahead no matter what, why try to make it harder and more dangerous?
If you feel you must help strangers that stumble onto your property, what about care packs that help move people on? Perhaps the map will have the nearest evac centre (or equivalent-if there is one. In any case give them some direction to go), two-three days of food and water and a SAS guide (maybe one per group)? Make it clear they are to keep moving though.
Rick & AJ,
You can both do what you like – I have no issue with personal choices. My comments came about from the flavor of the original post. It seemed to me to be a magnanimous jester to save the world by patronizing those who are down and out with a couple of cheap trinkets.
Secondly, doing this personalized aid station was drawing foolish attention upon oneself as the area savior – and where will it stop? The bag of goodies evolves into the ask to stay the night which becomes weeks, then more people knock & the pattern repeats itself. I can guarantee with 100% certainty, trouble will befall upon those who demonstrate this kind of blind assistance.
I get why Janet wrote the post. She believes a little pat on the head will make someone feel a little more cared for and they, in turn will be grateful to HER – which was one of my points, who is she really doing this for?
Why not make up the bags, give them to a professional aid station away from her home? She can even volunteer if she needs the strokes of appreciation. No true survivalist would ever subject their “situation” to any unknown commodity, it defies logic.
Thirdly, how did those who are scavenging the streets become that way? Poor planning and bad habits. What most people do not realize is people are like that because they have spent a lifetime living in a fantasy to varying degrees – make X per year and spend X + 150 on pointless creature comforts. So now the S Hits TF and we are supposed to pick up their slack? Since when is it my obligation to shore them up?
It may appear that I am jaded but am far from it, I just know the difference between helping and protecting my own. What’s wrong with guiding them to a place designed to care for them? Why do you need to show “them” that you have obvious possessions with the appearance of being able to take care of many? I find that irresponsible.
I believe I have a duty as a man and the protector & provider of my family to make black & white decisions about what is in our best interest and some of those decisions will be difficult but it’s life.
Aj, you asked what do I do when I run low on food: answer, I don’t. I do not take survivalism lightly or treat it as some romantic “Jeremiah Johnson” notion. I plan, prepare and leave as little to chance as possible.
Let me ask you both a frank question – do you not read this blog? It is all about the 3 P’s – planning, preparing and protecting yourself when the SHTF. It’s not about sitting around the campfire, holding hands while singing kumbaya and not about sitting on an elevated rock ridge in cammo with a rifle and scope shooting trespassers. It’s about survival & self preservation, so to speak. Protect your family, create a trustworthy community of like-minded people and work with each other.
Over the years MD has filled in many of the what if’s that when you run low on food, you kill, trap or grow it and always continue with advance planning.
On a personal note, I am a full on Christian, who believes in God’s word and (I) do understand my role as the head of the family. Additionally, I know that God does not want a doormat rather, he wants strength, leadership & honor. The Bible is loaded with these types of examples and examples of how we are to act towards those in need – it’s called discernment.
So what do I do when a family of 5 approaches me in a fit desperation? I mentally inventory what I have then talk, listen, way out their options, establish boundaries and make a decision and a decision that is the best interest of my family first.
First, let me say that I have enjoyed the discussion we have been having. Thank you for your thoughts because you have brought up very good counter-points to the article. I think we actually agree more than disagree on the subjects at hand. I agree that the notion of inviting someone into the home who is not a relative is not a choice I would make. In fact, I would say in my household it is not an option. This is one of those solutions in which I would disagree with the author. Besides, I don’t even know the words to Kumbaya! Also, I don’t mean to imply that anyone is un-Christian because they are looking out for their family and are unwilling to sacrifice their family’s needs to help others. Religion is an area that is private and is absolutely nobody else’s business. That is a matter left between you and God, and I absolutely have no judgment on anyone – that is God’s purview, not mine.
That being said, I do think the comfort packs have merit. Like I said before, and AJ commented on, I see them as being a tool on hand that I can use to diffuse a potentially violent encounter with desperate people so that they move along away from my family. I agree that there is the potential to call attention to yourself and that can make you a target, which is why I would not indiscriminately pass them out along the side of the road. However, IF some people came across my land who were desperate, and IF I determine that by giving them some simple supplies will 1) alleviate their desperation, even if temporarily and 2) enable them to continue traveling away from my family, then having some extra supplies prepared ahead of time that will not take supplies away from my family’s needs is a good thing.
Your third point is something I want to comment on. Basically, why should you take care of those who did not prepare? You answered your own question: “It is all about the 3 P’s – planning, preparing and protecting yourself when the SHTF.” Face it, those who prepare are going to be very much in a minority, especially those who are prepared for a long term disaster. That means that the chances that you, as a survivalist, are going to encounter people who are unprepared AND desperate are very high unless you happen to live in a remote area. So, with that in mind, my planning needs to include scenarios where I come in contact with desperate people who maybe a few weeks or months ago were sitting in a circle giving group hugs, but are now hungry and without hope. This is one of the reasons why the idea of giving the packs to an aid station isn’t going to help me immediately. While commendable, like you implied it is not my job to help the unprepared survive. My preparation will include some prepackaged packs on hand which I can give with the goal to take away some of that desperation and give someone some small relief. My hope is that those little creature comforts will make it easier for those who are desperate to choose not to escalate the situation. Then, I can move them along down the road to an aid station or somewhere else far enough so that my family is protected. Will I do this for anyone I come across? Frankly, no. Will these packs guarantee that the person(s) move along and don’t come back and threaten my family? No, but at that point the choice becomes theirs as to whether the encounter becomes violent or not. I have done what I could, something I would not have been able to do if I had not prepared ahead of time.
From your last paragraph, it seems that you do much the same thing, in which case it seems the disagreement is more in the preparation details. In that case, then this becomes a conversation on implementation of which there will be as many solutions as there are individuals.
As to the author’s motives, I can not speak to those since I do not know her. I didn’t really get the vibe that she wanted the pats on the head, but maybe it is because as I was reading it I took away what I needed and the rest of it got tossed into the proverbial bit-bucket. To answer your question, I am actually fairly new to the blog. It has a lot of good ideas from which I draw a lot of ideas and inspiration to prepare. By no means am I an expert which is why I value these discussions because they challenge my ideas and make sure I don’t become complacent in my thinking and planning.
Thank you. I look forward to more discussions.
Ha, sorry I wasn’t clear… I was completely agreeing with you Jason! My further comments and questions were directed at Janet and others ready to help people out.
Personally I’ll be avoiding everyone I possibly can and if I must deal with strangers I’ll try to seem as destitute as them. As you said Jason, this is why I read this blog and prep – so I can help my family survive. They will not survive very long if I hand out charity to everyone who stumbles by!
Rick,
I started off writing a narrative of why I disagree with the original post but elected to drop it. If you like the Comfort Packs idea and feel it is prudent way to help and keep people away, by all means do it.
I will not because I like to be in control my environment & feel that these add an element of unnecessary risk in my opinion. The whole idea of preparation is to mitigate problems not invite them.
My suggestion for you is to move from thinking to doing – it is a zero risk proposition.
I have spent time driving the Red Cross Disaster Relief Vehicle, handing out blankets and goodies to fire and tornado victims. If you are so inclined to assist, I suggest you take an active role in your community and be a part of that solution for your community. On the other hand, I’m not taking strangers in to my home or in my camp. It would be nice and I would feel warm and fuzzy, but let’s face it, we already have killers and thieves of the streets, and placing your family at additional risk during a disaster just isn’t wise. Make sure you are safe to care for your family, when your family is safe and secure, then you can help others, but not in a manner that puts your or your family at additional risk. The way things are today, I think we have to assume the worst of people and allow them to prove us wrong, but not at our risk.
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