NEWS RELEASE

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    

 

DATE:                        November 30, 2001

CONTACT:              Barbara Poppe, 221-9195

 

 

SHELTERS NEED HELP MAKING WINTER BEDS

 

COLUMBUS, OHIO—Central Ohio has been fortunate to experience an unusually warm autumn.  With the weather now turning colder, people who are homeless will experience additional hardships, and area shelters are bracing for the winter season ahead.  The Community Shelter Board (CSB) and its partner agencies are asking the people of Columbus and Franklin County for help this year by donating blankets, single bed linens, and towels to area shelters. 

“The shelters have agreed to expand their services to keep people out of the cold,” said Barbara Poppe, Executive Director of CSB.  “They really need help from the community to make up those extra beds with sheets, mattress pads, blankets, pillows, and pillow cases.”  Towels of all sizes and washcloths are also needed to keep up with the increased demand for showers, said Poppe. 

With the opening of Faith Mission’s new shelter for homeless men, along with additional supportive housing, there is more demand than ever before for these items.  Any clean, gently used, or new linens, blankets, and towels are welcome.   If you would like to make a donation, please contact one of the agencies listed below. 

Faith Mission

224-6617

Friends of the Homeless

253-2770

Maryhaven

449-1530

Volunteers of America

224-8650

YMCA of Central Ohio

224-1131

YWCA of Columbus

228-9211

 

The Community Shelter Board (CSB) was created in 1986 to respond to the growing problem of homelessness in Columbus and Franklin County.  Since that time, CSB has allocated over $47 million to programs that provide services to families and individuals experiencing a housing crisis in our community. Last year, these programs served more than 11,000 individuals.  The Community Shelter Board is funded by the City of Columbus, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the United Way of Central Ohio, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State of Ohio, and other public and private donors.

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