Blanketing Our Clients with Warmth
Every winter for the past 19 years, Notre Dame Club of Greater Sarasota has given Resurrection House hundreds of blankets as part of their Warm Wishes program.
The partnership began when University of Notre Dame students participated in a summer service learning program in Sarasota that included volunteering with Resurrection House.
“Once we realized what a great organization it was, we wanted to help out,” says Chris Kernan, who ran the Warm Wishes program from its inception. He recently turned it over to Pat Forshee, a member of the Notre Dame Club’s board of directors.
The alumni organization’s local chapter, which has more than 200 members, began their work by collecting clothing and canned goods as well as blankets but found the most success with the latter. “We want to help the homeless stay warm in the winter,” Chris says. Their first year, they donated around 100 blankets, and last year the number ran to about 800. The Warm Wishes program supports both Resurrection House and Stillpoint Mission in Bradenton.
Chris says while they gladly accept new and lightly used blankets from their members, most of the donations are monetary, enabling them to purchase brand-new blankets for the best price.
The blankets are delivered in December and given to Resurrection House clients as needed throughout the year.
“We are grateful to Notre Dame Club of Greater Sarasota for their generosity and caring of the homeless in our community!” says Mason Ayres, Interim Executive Director at Resurrection House.