Safe Pouch Ministry

ID Pouches are useful, appreciated item that outreach personnel can hand to the unsheltered during their interactions.  They need a safer location to carry their ID and other important papers and cash hidden close to their body, not in a tent or backpack.  Replacing lost items of this nature can set back a homeless individual by several months.

The Alms Ministry at Saint Paul’s, Bellingham started to make these and give them to guests that came for bus passes and other vouchers.  Since 2019 they have distributed over 400 to this ministry and to a dozen service organizations in Whatcom County and many more much further afield.

The Bishop’s Homeless Taskforce is encouraging other parishes to take up this ministry, and to reach out to your contacts that serve the unsheltered to offer these individually or a dozen at a time.  A Safe Pouch is a practical and useful item that will make a difference in people’s lives.

You can follow the instructions below, but you should send us a note to let us know you are interested, and we will put you in touch with St. Paul’s.  They will send you a sample and help you get started making and distributing the pouches in your area.

Materials:

  • Sturdy Fabric, 5-1/2” x 24” (Recycled jeans are excellent!)
  • Velcro, 3/4” x 2-1/2”
  • Grosgrain ribbon, 42”

Instructions (Download the pdf):

  1. Use a three-step zig-zag stitch throughout for strength and to reduce fraying.  Use a standard stitch to attach the Velcro.
  2. On one narrow end of the fabric, fold over ¼ inch and hem it with a zig-zag stitch.
  3. On the other narrow end, snip 1/4″ into each side 2-1/4” from the end.  These are folded over and hemmed to make the sides of the enclosure flap.  Hem the remaining narrow end by folding over and sewing 1/4″ of the cut end of the fabric to complete the flap.
  4. Match the first hemmed end to the bottom edge of the newly sewn enclosure flap.  Fold the enclosure flap over the hemmed end and press the material flat.  Turn it over.
  5. To make the pocket, fold 4-1/4” up from the bottom crease and press flat.  The total length should now be about 6-1/2”.  See below for a side image of how the fabric lays.
  6. You can quickly sew a straight stitch up the sides 1/8” in from each edge to keep it all together or just proceed to the next step.  Don’t sew the enclosure flap shut!
  7. Enclose the edges of the fabric sides with the ribbon, starting at one bottom edge.  Sew a zig-zag stitch along its entire length, finishing the stitch along the other side of the pouch over the other end of the ribbon (see the photo example, above). 
  8. Finish the Safety Pouch by adding the Velcro patch using a straight stitch around its edges.

Note:

This is how the 24″ fabric piece is folded to make the pouch: