The homeless services nonprofit Haven for Hope is working to collect enough coats, jackets, and shoes for its clients and people still living on the streets ahead of the winter months.
“As the temperatures start to cool down after a long and hot summer, we want to ensure that our clients and the unsheltered individuals in our community have coats or jackets to get through the winter season,” said Haven for Hope’s director of communications, Terri Behling, according to KSAT. “We will accept gently used lightweight jackets, hoodies, heavy jackets, fleeces, and sweaters during our Coata-palooza Coats for a Cause Drive.”
She said that many of the people who end up enrolling in Haven for Hope’s program come in with very few possessions.
Haven for Hope has also been partnering with San Antonio Shoemakers to collect more than 600 pairs of shoes for people experiencing homelessness, per NBC News 4 SA.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Haven for Hope serves as a “one-stop-shop” for homeless services and shelter. Operating out of a single campus, the organization provides its clients with shelter, counseling, substance abuse treatment, job training, and skills development.
An economic impact report previously attributed a 77% reduction in homelessness to Haven for Hope’s operation.
Roughly two-thirds of respondents to a poll conducted by The Dallas Express indicated that they would prefer a “one-stop-shop” model to the various homeless services spread throughout Dallas.
Both homelessness and vagrancy have been serious problems in Dallas, with about 75% of respondents indicating as much on a City satisfaction survey that asked Dallas residents what they thought the city’s “major” problems were.
Mayor Eric Johnson was recently seen visiting the Haven for Hope campus, however, it is unclear whether he and other City officials will experiment with such a model despite its seeming popularity.
Haven for Hope is currently accepting donated heavy coats, lightweight jackets, or fleece hoodies. Donors can also purchase some much-needed items from the organization’s Amazon Wishlist.
Members of Haven for Hope’s community outreach team will be distributing donated shoes on Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
