I have launched the 12th annual Winter Warmth Drive. Twelve years ago, in December, while serving dinner at the Tuesday Night Meal Program at the First Parish UU church in Harvard Square, I was speaking with an unhoused woman about what Cambridge could be doing to better support our unhoused community. I was asking about job training, housing, raising the minimum wage. She turned to me and said, “Yes, that’s all good, but tonight I just want some warm blankets.” That night the Winter Warmth Drive was born.
Over the past 11 years, I have led an effort, along with First Parish, to raise $20,000 per season to buy sleeping bags for Cambridge’s homeless population. Over those years, we have raised more than $200,000 and provided more than 1,000 sleeping bags and wool blankets to those in need. Although we know that sleeping bags will not solve homelessness – it’s much more complicated than that – these bags have been called “lifesaving” and people have come to rely on them.
Our goal is to raise $20,000 before the end of October so we can order these bags before the weather starts to get really cold. Our community has been so great over the years, and I can’t thank you enough. If you would like to contribute online, please visit 2024 Winter Warmth Drive, or you can mail a check made out to First Parish, 3 Church St. Cambridge, MA 02138 and write “Winter Warmth Drive” on the memo line.
Thanks so much for reading my appeal!
The writer is a Cambridge city councillor.
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