ACLU Request for Volunteers

As many of you know, we at the ACLU are conducting a drive for cold weather gear such as sleeping bags and pop-up tents.

There are only enough emergency and transitional beds in Orange County to accommodate about half of all persons experiencing homelessness, leaving over two thousand outdoors this winter–not good with the El Nino rains coming.  The situation is now worse than ever, as the Armories are reducing their capacity from 200 to 138 beds each.  The county currently has the capacity to permanently house only one in ten persons experiencing homelessness.

We’ve heard from people living outdoors that they are getting very cold. We are focusing on unsheltered people living in the most remote areas, such as the riverbed, who have little access to service providers.

Please let me know if your group is able to provide even one sleeping bag or tent, or other cold weather gear.  You can also circulate this email to your networks.  We can pick up and deliver.  Of course anyone is welcome to join us.  We are hoping to make some deliveries in the next couple of weeks.