A Christmas angel of sorts appeared Saturday at the Dollar Tree in Cody. That’s where Sonja Black and Bonnie Fauskee, volunteers with Homebound Senior Essentials, were waiting to check out. In their carts were soap and shampoo, laundry detergent and dish soap — enough for a lot of baths and dishes.

That’s because they were buying for 75 homes.

Sometimes senior citizens on a fixed income are forced to decide whether they are going to pay for electricity or shampoo, medication or laundry needs. 

Homebound Senior Essentials has been easing those decisions since 2016 by providing basic personal care and household items such as bath soap and shampoo, dish soap and toilet paper.

Everything goes into a “purple bag.” The contents can change seasonally and a large print copy of the Christian devotional “Our Daily Bread” is included, too.

The cost of the program is covered by donations from Powell area churches and individuals. But there was a Christmas twist for the purple bags set to be delivered this week.

As Black and Fauskee prepared to check out at the dollar store, one of the clerks offered to open up an additional checkout line for the next customer.

The woman, Ann Ruward who owns H&R Block in Powell, said it wasn’t necessary, but she wondered about the destination of the goods loaded into the carts.

“I could tell by what they were buying they were providing support for someone or something, so I asked them,” Ruward said.

When she found out about the purple bags, she told Black she wanted to pay for the order.

“I said, ‘You mean one item for each of the 75 bags?’ but she said, no, she meant all of it,” Black recalled.

“It makes your heart take a leap and a quiver,” she said. “You can’t believe there is such a generous gesture for something that you believe in. It’s a very humbling experience.”

When the cart contents were totaled at $530, Ruward insisted on paying the tab.

“I just felt like it was necessary,” Ruward said. “I feel like the community needs help, in Cody, in Powell, in the Big Horn Basin. I could do it, so I did.”

Ruward said she is familiar with how organizations like Homebound Senior Essentials rely on donations because of her work with Powell Troop Support.

“Without donations, you take it out of your own pocket,” she said. Before Saturday, though, Ruward was unaware of the program to deliver purple bags of goodies to seniors. But she immediately identified with the need.

“It is wonderful to give back to our elderly,” Ruward said. “I remember my grandmother’s Social Security wouldn’t even cover her living expenses; my parents had to help out.”

The purple bags are usually delivered when a program volunteer follows a Meals on Wheels driver to various homes. Others are handed out at the Powell Senior Center.

The recipients are at or below the poverty level. Homebound Senior Essentials sent out postcards with a survey to seniors. Some needed help, but Black said others replied they were not in need and the goods should go to someone else. The number of bags changes frequently.

The program began at Christmas 2016, with the items placed in a white pillowcase tied with a red bow. The purple bags came later.

One question the recipients often ask is whether they can get food for their pets. Unfortunately, that isn’t part of the program, but Black’s grandchildren stepped in this Christmas.

“They were so worried about the pets that their parents [Aaron and Kelsey Black] paid for dog and cat food and pet treats. Those pets are so important,” Black said.

People who contribute, Black continued, value and care about the older members of the community.

“I have been thinking, we get donations from individuals and churches, but this may be the single biggest contribution we have gotten,” she said. The amount Ruward paid forward cut the $1,400 monthly cost significantly, letting the budget go much further.

Ruward summed the encounter up a little differently.

“I just felt like it was something I needed to do,” she said. “God puts us all where we need to be.”

Homebound Senior Essentials works regularly with the Powell Senior Center to help identify residents who would benefit from receiving a purple bag. Anyone who is aware of a senior in need may contact the center at 307-754-4223 or Grace Point at 307-754-3639.