Temperatures during the winter months in the Bay Area often drop to near freezing levels during the night, and the homeless are among those most subject to these cold nights. The Winter Warmth Drive, organized by the CSP and the Agape Club, aims to unite our community to combat the cold through donations of warm clothing.
“One of the things I love about the drive and one of the things that’s so special about it is that it brings so many different parts of our community together,” Ms. Anne Maloney said.
Many students simply note the myriad of posters promoting the drive and check their closets to see if they have any unused jackets or sweaters that they can donate. Sophomore Sam Simoes was one such student.
“We just had some jackets that were in great shape, and no one was using them. We didn’t want them to go to waste, and there are people who need them more than we do, so we wanted to the jackets to them,” Sam said.
Many groups on campus also come together to raise awareness and donations for the drive. For instance, the Varsity Football team conducts an annual blanket collection, and the team increases their target every year to donate more blankets to the drive.
“They take their connection to the community very seriously,” Ms. Maloney said. “They’re always trying to focus on the idea that we are part of something bigger. That’s what this drive reminds us all.”
The Mother’s Guild also supports the Warmth Drive through promotional activities. Members of the Guild volunteer to promote the Drive before and after school in addition to sorting and bagging donations. The Dad’s Club similarly raised awareness for the Drive by hosting the Sons for Duds event on the evening of November 13th; the entry ticket for the event was a donation of warm clothing to the drive.
Additionally, the Big Brothers are holding a sock and underwear drive to support the Casa De Clara Mobile Shower Program. The Mobile Shower Program was also involved in the Solidarity Sleepout, which took place over the night of November 16th.
An upcoming event on campus that serves as a great way to contribute to the drive is the Bring a Blanket, Leave a Blanket Movie Night. The Movie Night will take place in the gym, and the entry ticket is the donation of a blanket to the drive.
“It’s fun to watch a Christmas movie with friends and get some free hot chocolate and popcorn,” Ms. Maloney said. “You can sit on the blanket or let it keep you warm in the gym while you watch the movie and then donate it so that it can keep somebody else warm.”
Our community combines forces to help keep the homeless stay warm during the Winter season, and you can be a part of the effort!
“Different groups on campus are saying, ‘Hey, this is a worthy cause and we should share what we have. It’s important to give people warm clothing and so let’s get together, have a celebratory evening, and have that be part of it,’” Ms. Maloney said. “It’s just part of what we do, and that’s what we try to cultivate there.”