CHICAGO (CBS) — A former postal worker is making it her mission to improve the lives of others this winter.

For the past seven years, Wanda Tolbert has handed out backpacks to the homeless. On Saturday morning, she gave away 50 more at the Franciscan homeless shelter on the city’s West Side.

The backpacks are filled with essentials including socks, gloves, toilet paper, blankets, and more. They are her way of lending a hand to Chicagoans in need.

Tolbert said as a letter carrier, she would buy meals for the homeless on her route – and she learned a small gesture can go a long way. More at CBS Chicago