Holy Spirit Episcopal Church

Calling all parishioners! Holy Spirit's drive for warm socks, hats, scarves, gloves and mittens begins the first Sunday of the new year, January 4, and continues through Sunday, January 18. This is the tenth year that Holy Spirit has collected warm apparel for our houseless brothers and sisters who are receiving shelter at the Poverello Center or are sleeping outside and being served by the Housing Outreach Team (The HOT Team). The familiar red-and-white striped box will again await your donations in the parish hall. Items also can be placed in a plastic bin located on the porch outside the church office.

The needs of the houseless are especially great this year, due to funding cuts, the closure of the Johnson Street shelter, and a winter predicted to be colder and snowier in the northern United States.

As always, we welcome items that are hand-knit, store-bought or gently used. Please remember, socks should be made from wool or synthetic fabrics such as Thermolite. Please NO COTTON! Cotton does not keep out the cold and fails to wick away moisture, making feet feel damp and chilly. Houseless men and women who sleep at the Poverello Center spend many of their daytime hours outside in our cold, snowy, and windy winter weather. The Pov's HOT Team also serves those individuals who are shelter resistant and sleep outdoors or in their vehicles. As a result, the Pov goes through countless pairs of socks and other wooly items in a single day!

We appreciate whatever items you can donate to this critically important drive. If parishioners wish to place a bin outside their homes or work spaces and accept donations from their neighbors, coworkers, or customers, please email me at . I am happy to provide the bin and signage and collect the contents as needed.

Thanks in advance for your generosity!

Lucia Solorzano Work
Social Concerns Committee