Winter Kits

Another fantastic volunteer event to help people experiencing homelessness and economic instability. Winters in Minnesota are cold! Recently, the Prior Lake JOC came together and assembled Winter Kits for donation. The kits contained warm winter clothing like wool socks, hats, mittens, winter jackets, and other seasonal supplies. Tons of donations were sent to St. Stephen’s Human Services/House of Charity to serve our neighbors in need. According to the House of Charity's Volunteer and In-Kind Giving Coordinator Abby Abele, "Our organization works with people experiencing homelessness and housing instability in Minneapolis by ensuring their basic needs are met, and stable, permanent housing is secured. One central task we take on involves distributing essential supplies to our clients and guests. On the journey from unhoused to housed, extreme weather conditions can be life-threatening. Winter kits--which are divided between our shelter, street outreach, and housed clients--contain basic items to keep residents warm, and operate as life-saving resources for those traveling by foot and living outdoors."

JOC project co-leader, Bethany Erkle commented "Overall, we had a very positive experience leading the Winter Kit Project. We ran into a few challenges when the schools closed due to COVID. Fortunately, we were able to work together to make the project work by finding different locations to collect donations. Every single person who came to the JOC meeting and helped pack had a positive attitude and made the project a great experience."

House of Charity