Metro Relief Receives Donation of Much-Needed Winter Clothing for Homeless
Kristan Miller
Metro Relief received a much-needed “warm clothing” donation in advance of the most recent cold weather. The welcome gift of 576 winter items came from donations gathered during a donation drive organized by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in The Colony and Frisco.
Metro Relief is a non-profit organization that serves the poor and needy every week from their food pantry in The Colony and by going on weekly Outreaches by bus to Dallas and Ft. Worth.
The warm clothing drive was inspired by one of Metro Relief’s regular volunteers, Cynthia Hatch, during a recent Outreach visit to Ft. Worth. As the staff and volunteers of Metro Relief were feeding and serving the homeless there, one gentleman asked if they had gloves. Temperatures had dropped that day, leaving many of the homeless cold and in dire need of warmer clothing and blankets. Cynthia took the knit gloves off her hands and put them onto his. He then shared with her a memory of being cold years prior when someone had given him shoes and a coat literally off his back.
As the group was headed back by bus to The Colony, they saw a frail, homeless woman wearing only a thin summer dress, shaking from the cold. Inspired by the gentleman’s story, they stopped the bus and clothed the woman in a jacket, gloves, a beanie, and a scarf — each item taken off one of their own bodies to help hers. Cynthia shared, “The relief on her face is something I will always remember. I had never actually given the coat off my back before, but I remembered the man’s story from earlier and had to follow the example given to me. My heart was so touched.”
Cynthia Hatch, who serves as a Service Specialist in the Frisco 1st congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was then inspired to do more before the coldest temperatures of the year came to DFW. She reached out to other Service Specialists from the Church in the area, and they swiftly organized a “warm clothing” donation drive. Church buildings in The Colony and in Frisco put out collection boxes, resulting in the donation of 85 adult coats and jackets, 51 scarves, 60 hats, 68 pairs of gloves, 197 pairs of socks, 34 blankets, and 81 other clothing and cold-weather items.
Stacy Kennedy, Operations Manager at Metro Relief, said of the Church’s donation, “So many of our friends on the street were blessed with the warmth of your gifts. We are grateful for our partnership to help those in need.”
Metro Relief has an ongoing need this winter for coats, blankets, bus passes (for Dallas or Tarrant County for people to get to jobs or medical appointments), gift cards, or monetary donations. They also invite volunteers to join them on their weekly service Outreaches.
