It Takes A Village To Keep Warm

The last five years I have put up what I call “Project Warmth” on the front gate of our house.  We live on a very busy corner – cars drive by all hours of the day and night, and there are often people on foot and bicycle who pass, too.  I learned through experience that some of those who walk past are homeless.  And many who walk by, though they may have a roof over their heads, are barely making ends meet.  So, things like thick coats, warm sweatshirts, cozy hats and scarves, and a nice pair of mittens or gloves for themselves or their children are sometimes not possible.  They make do with what they have, even in the middle of a cold winter.

So, to try and help out with that problem, for “Project Warmth” I hang cold weather gear on our front gate.  There are signs (both in English and Spanish) telling passersby that the items are free for the taking, and that they should pass them along to someone else when they no longer need them.

View of Project Warmth from our front porch - every morning when I wake up the first thing
I do is see if there are still items hanging out there!

The first couple of years I did this project I worked from a large box full of sweaters that my dad had cleaned out of his (huuuge) sweater collection.  I also had some coats and hats I had collected to give to homeless people in DC.  Those items, coupled with a some of our own things that we wanted to give away, got us through the cold weather giving season.  But this year, even though I cleaned out my closets and baskets full of hats and gloves, I didn’t have enough to keep the gate supply going.

So, I leaned on my neighbors.  I posted in a neighborhood “Buy Nothing” group and asked if people had items to contribute.

And boy did they!  I have received donations of very, very warm coats.  Of brand-new hats and mittens.  Of scarves and gloves and every color and size.   There have even been gorgeous HAND KNIT pieces donated!!  And, unlike the normal set up in the Buy Nothing group, instead of me driving to the giver’s house to pick the items up, many people dropped them off right at my house!! 

It has been incredible.  Instead of having just 1 item on the fence at a time, this year I have been able to put out 3 at a time!!  Usually the gate gets cleared off twice a day (sometimes I put items out at midnight and they are gone when we wake up!).  I am so grateful to my neighbors for being kind and generous.  With the community’s support, we have helped people stay at least a little bit warmer this winter.

The bin of warm donations for the front gate is OVER FLOWING, and that is after
giving many, many away already!  

It takes a village.  And I am honored to be a part of mine.

(Here is a piece I wrote about Project Warmth in 2016:  Project Warmth - Warm Kindness