By Molly Monroe
“Interfaith saved me from freezing to death,” Gypsy Wind said. When he was released from Ada County Jail in the winter there were no coats or boots available at the time.
Historically, Ada County Jail has accepted donations of warm clothes for those being released to ask for upon release. However, limited storage and supplies make it difficult to give every person a coat.
Lindsay Stanger, Ada County Sheriff’s Office community engagement manager, excitedly agreed to partner with the Word on the Street team to put on a coat and boot drive. “We are trying to address a common need,” she said. “We can only do so much with what we have, so this is a great way to pull resources and help each other.”
You can drop off your donation at the Phoenix building, 511 S. Americana Blvd., in the collection bin Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., throughout January.
The goal is to collect 100 coats and 20 pairs of boots. (More XL and XXL sizes are appreciated.)
Wind explained that when folks are not given the supplies needed to stay warm, they will do whatever they can to get them. “It puts people in a position to possibly reoffend, just to survive the night,” he said. “But those getting out of jail just need a chance to rebuild their lives and become productive members of society.”
He confessed that he was so cold and in need after being released, he walked into Burlington Coat Factory intending on stealing a coat, but he decided to ask the store clerk, who, in turn, graciously gifted him a jacket.
He found himself at Interfaith. He was devastated and scared. But I was welcomed into Project Well Being and Word on the Street. In a newspaper meeting, he shared his experience of going from jail cell to cold street and said, “We need to do a coat drive to prevent this from happening to others.”
“Nothing is worse than being cold,” Stanger said, “It takes a village to keep our community warm and cared for.”
This coat drive serves as an opportunity for the community to share its warmth and make sure no one is left in the cold, one coat at a time.
