Do Something: Coats of Care
By: Kayla Pollard
The homeless in our community are now a little bit warmer, thanks to the vision of one fourth grade student partnered with the assistance of a high school English class. Samuel Shore heard in chapel about the people here in Gainesville who do not have a place to call home. With winter on the horizon, he saw a great opportunity to bless them – by collecting coats and blankets to donate to the St. Francis House to distribute to homeless families in need.
The Do Something project was then launched to the school community. Donations piled high in the office, and students gave $5 each to participate in a special dress down day in support of the project.
Thanks to the generosity and love of our TRS families, we were able to donate 123 items and nearly $1500 to help support the homeless families in our community!
- 14 men’s coats
- 24 women’s coats
- 29 kids’ coats
- 8 sleeping bags
- 48 blankets
Sam and the English students then gave an additional gift of their time by taking the afternoon on the last day of school to deliver the donations to the St. Francis House. Kent Vann, Executive Director, shared with the group that the average age of a homeless person is 12 years old. “It’s all the people you don’t see on the side of roads pan handling that we attempt to take care of.” They do this by providing shelter, meals, training and educational resources, and more.
If you would like to further support the homeless in our community, contact the St. Francis House to find out how.
If you have a vision for the next Do Something project, click here to get started!
