A blanket is something many take for granted, but there are people who don’t have any to keep warm this winter.
New Life Christian Church & World Outreach, Warsaw, is collecting blankets for the homeless in Detroit and the effort is being organized by Janelle Hall, church member. The effort is being called “Blankets Of Love.”
“This is something God laid on my heart. There is a big need in Detroit. One of the common misconceptions about homelessness is that they are addicts or they put themselves in that place, but people in Detroit never bounced back when the stock market crashed and when the automotive dealerships shut down,” Hall said.
She said she has done research and the top three causes for homelessness in Detroit are eviction, job loss and domestic violence.
“There are more than 34,000 homeless men, women and children in Detroit,” Hall said.
Locations where blankets for homeless men, women and children can be dropped off are Winona Lake Dairy Queen, 2304 E. Winona Ave.; New Life Christian Church & World Outreach, 744 S. CR 325E, Warsaw; and the Great Clips by Big R in Warsaw in Woodland Plaza Shopping Center, 3628 E. Commerce Drive.
Hall said the church currently has 10 blankets with a goal of collecting 300 blankets. Blankets will be collected until Dec. 18.
New Life has provided funds for gas money to deliver the blankets. Jeremy Makinson, Sterling Contracting LLC co-owner, has donated a covered trailer, a truck and a driver to deliver the blankets.
Hall also will join in the delivery effort and drop off the blankets Dec. 19, along with an employee and five volunteers from New Life. They are working with an organization, Heart to Heart in Detroit, that distributes toiletry items every week to the homeless.
“We are going for more than just meeting a physical need of warmth, but to remind them there is hope for the homeless and there is a God who loves them despite their circumstances and wants to change their lives around,” Hall said.
People also can drop off cash donations to purchase blankets at New Life Christian Church & World Outreach.
(Story By The Times Union)
