Hi, everyone. With the massive bomb cyclone and arctic blast weather patterns sweeping across the US, it’s safe to say that any unhoused person, almost anywhere in the US, is not having the best week. Whether it’s cold rain, snow, floods or -24°, we’re facing a dangerous week.
Over the past week, we have had a multitude of requests and those requests have been added to a now very long waitlist. It will take roughly $4500 to clear it. Which is why it pains me to say that with our Giving Tuesday fundraiser having not been approved by Facebook until after Giving Tuesday (and no response from them as to why), we are out of funding at the worst time possible.
For the time being, I have purchased and shipped everything that I can until we recieve either additional donations or a grant. I even used our administrative funds intended to pay for our mailbox and website to send out Blankets and will likely be paying those bills from my own pocket if I can figure out how to do so. This is a deficit we haven’t faced since before we became a nonprofit.
With all of that being said and with this dangerous winter weather week ahead, I want to encourage people to utilize every resource available. Not wanting to stay in shelters, especially during a pandemic is more than understandable, but in many areas of the US, it could be a lethal choice this week. So, please consider utilizing 2-1-1 and other local information channels. You can also reach out to us here and add your request for gear to the waitlist. I just felt it was best to be up front in setting expectations, because it would be dangerous to do otherwise.
Things will get better, again. We won’t stop trying both to find funding for survival gear or for advocating for those in need of assistance. I have communicated with everyone on the waitlist, but please feel free to reach out if you have questions.
VOLUNTEERS: Check your mailboxes for information on where your orders are in the queue.
DONORS: If you are able to assist, it would be greatly appreciated and immediately utilized for the purchase of survival gear either through donations or through direct purchases for which I can give you shipping addresses. You can print your receipt for your taxes directly from the PayPal site.
Thank you for reading and I’m sorry. This is a post I absolutely did not want to write.
DONATE: PayPal.me/DonateToBTTS
Weather Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/12/22/winter-storm-maps-forecast-arctic-blast/
Photo Courtesy of Stacia Monroe in Denver, CO.
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