By Molly Balison
Imagine being outside in the thick of winter. It’s below 20 degrees and your head and eyelashes are covered with snowflakes, melting into your shivering skin. You have no coat, hat, or gloves to keep yourself warm. Your worn out running shoes barely able to grip the icy sidewalks you traverse between building to building to keep warm. You visit places like the YMCA, Boise Public Library, Cathedral of the Rockies and Corpus Christi House during the day, waiting for Interfaith to open for overnight shelter.
Imagine the feeling of relief you get when a stranger gifts you with a hat or you find a winter coat at the free clothing closet in the Phoenix building of Interfaith Sanctuary. Then, you’re welcomed into the shelter by friendly faces who give you a hot meal and provide a place to lay your head.
Interfaith is Boise’s only low barrier emergency shelter. People seek Interfaith for the warmth during cold winter nights and discover the warmth of the staff inside.
That’s the kind of compassion Interfaith exists for, and you can be a part of it.
An Interfaith Sanctuary guest named Rusty who works for the Ada County Landfill gifted guests with pink beanies and scarfs he collected from work. A simple donation put joy on the guests faces and filled the shelter with warmth.
Heather, a photographer for Word on the Street, was relieved to see a donation of brand new blankets from Nick Guho’s church arrive at the Phoenix building. For the first night this fall she was able to stay warm in her medical dorm. “It was the best sleep I’ve had in weeks,” she said. All because a kind stranger donated to a blanket drive.
Material donations make a practical impact in someone’s life. Think of anything you rely on and even take for granted in the cold months. Donations needed during the winter include: hand warmers and foot warmers, thick socks, coats and hot drink packets like cocoa, cider.
Check out our Amazon Wishlist found on our website interfaithsanctuary.org. You never know how your donation could make someone’s day or save a life.