As temperatures begin to drop, Baton Rouge area shelters see an influx of people coming to stay the night and a shortage of resources.
The LSU School of Social Work is asking for blanket donations through The Help the Shelters blanket collection drive, which began Monday, Oct. 17 and will continue through Friday, Dec. 9.
“With winter around the corner, it’s imperative that people in our community donate much-needed items to support homeless citizens,” School of Social Work director and professor Wesley Church said.
There’s more than one way the public can donate. People can either buy a twin size blanket online and ship it to Church or drop off a blanket at one of several locations on campus.
Collection locations include the third flood of the Huey P. Long Field House, the dean’s office of Peabody Hall and the lobbies of Patrick F. Taylor Hall, the Student Union and Middleton Library.
Church said the blanket drive started last year and donated 200 blankets to three shelters, Youth Oasis, Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless and Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
“People don’t really think about giving out blankets in Louisiana because it’s usually warm and comfortable,” Church said. “People don’t realize how cold it can get during the winter months.”
Church said he hopes the drive receives more donations than last year because it can increase the number of charity organizations the School of Social Work is able to donate to.
The School of Social Work aspires to be a leading graduate school of social work, a center of intellectual development, a leader in promoting and supporting diverse communities and an advocate for an integrated and inclusive model of social work.
“I know that students don’t have a lot of money, but getting a blanket is an inexpensive way to give back to the community and to help the homeless,” Church said.