Hi everyone!
The weather is finally cooling off, and it feels wonderful outside! The days aren’t blazing hot, and the nights are getting chilly.
But what if you didn’t have a coat, or even a long-sleeve shirt? What would you do if you couldn’t find shelter at night? Unfortunately, that’s the reality that many of the people that we serve face every day.
Austin ECHO estimates that over 800 central Texans are unsheltered on any given night. What does that mean? In the Austin area, there are more people experiencing homelessness than there are shelter beds. This forces people to sleep in tents, cars, under bridges, and even public restrooms to get out of the elements.
How can we help our fellow humans?
Every year, Austin Humanists at Work holds a Warmth Drive where we collect a variety of cold-weather items that we give to those in need at our monthly giveaways. We accept many new and gently used items, including: long-sleeve shirts, pants, coats & jackets, thermal tops & underwear, sweatshirts & sweatpants, hats, scarves, ear muffs, gloves, thick socks, ponchos, umbrellas, emergency blankets, hand warmers, sleeping mats, tents, and sleeping bags. Clean out your closets!
You can also find many of the Warmth Drive items on our Amazon wish list. While you’re there, check out the rest of the items on our list. We are completely out of insect repellent, and there are many other things that we could use more of, such as: men’s & women’s underwear, men’s socks, first aid kits, hand sanitizer, and toothbrushes.
(Please note: We are having an ongoing issue with our Amazon wish list. The number of items that we have in stock here at ATXHAW is incorrect on many items. Please use the What Do We Need page as a guide, or sort the list by priority. We have been working with Amazon customer service to get it fixed. Thanks for your patience.)
Volunteer Opportunity!
Austin ECHO is looking for volunteers for their 2018 Point In Time Count on Saturday, January 27, 2018. The Point In Time Count is an annual census of people experiencing homelessness in the Austin area. Each year, over 600 volunteers survey areas of Austin/Travis County in order to better understand homelessness. Could you be one of those people? Maybe you’ve got great leadership skills, and could serve as a team lead! Visit the Austin ECHO website to sign up and learn more.
It’s Almost Time to Get Knotty!
Yeah, us too.
The ATXHAW Gettin’ Knotty group will hold their monthly meetup next Thursday, October 12th. We meet from 7 – 10 PM in the cafe area of Barnes & Noble in the Arboretum.
What do we make? Warm hats and scarves for the Warmth Drive, of course! We also make cotton washcloths that are handed out year-round at our giveaways.
If you don’t know how to knit or crochet, that’s okay. We can help you get started!
We hope you’re having a great October. Thanks for reading! See you on the 15th!
May I call on Betsie Eikenberrg at home on Monday or Tuesday to leave small bags & small containers of personal products, such as shampoo, etc? Please send answer to my email.