Service Project: Second Chances Winter Clothing Drive

In anticipation of another New England winter, many of our homeless and low income community members in the greater Somerville area are without warm clothing. For families especially, this can take priority over food and shelter, and being outside in the extreme cold (like that we saw last year) with skin exposed can pose major, sometimes lethal, health risks. Yet, while donating to a particular homeless shelter can be helpful, we can’t always be sure to know what particular shelters or service providers need to best serve their communities.

In this regard, as a part of our ongoing Humanists Against Homelessness service series, we’ll be hosting a winter clothing drive through the end of the semester for Second Chances. The mission of Second Chances confronts the challenge head-on of making sure resources go to the providers who need them–as described on their website, they “[provide] clothing to homeless and very low-income people in Cambridge and Somerville by working with local homelessness and social service agencies where they receive shelter and services.” They support services for people of all ages, sizes, and genders, and help shelters forego the work of sifting through garments they might have overstocked shelves of so they can focus on providing those they need most.

The drive box will be located in the front of the Interfaith Center (58 Winthrop St, Medford, MA) starting Friday, December 2nd and [UPDATE] will continue until 2pm on Friday, December 22nd. Feel free to contact Humanist in Residence Walker Bristol with any questions at walker.bristol@tufts.edu.