Amazing Donations

Someone Really Cares About Homeless People.

We received a donation of mats made out of plastic bags from the grocery store.  Click over to the story to see pictures of these amazing mats.  Speaking of donations, we did not make our goal of 5,000 blankets this year.  I think that the mild winter made it harder to get people into the frame of mind for donating.  Plus we actually did not need as many blankets.  There was not as many nights of overflow needed this last winter.

Click here to see the mats and read more about donations.
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More Blankets Coming In

Still Seeking Blankets

The holidays are now over, but the we still have three long months of winter.  Those warm fuzzy feelings of the Christmas season are fading, but homeless people still need your help.  We are still collecting blankets for homeless people who are resistant to shelter.  Thanks to Mission and Members of Holy Trinity Church on East 131st Street for collecting blanket this last week.  We distributed those and are looking for help from other churches, synagogues or civic organizations in the community.  Our goal is to collect between 3,000 and 5,000 blankets this year. 

Brian

PS the above picture is from the Transformation Art Center at the Cosgrove Center. 
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We Are Still Looking for Blankets for Winter

Blanket Drive 2011

As you take a few days off for the holidays, please remember that we are still looking for donations this winter especially for those resistant to shelter.  Possible donated items that we distribute at the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless to outreach workers who then deliver it to homeless people:

1.    New Socks
2.    RTA one day Bus Tickets
3.    New underwear (any sizes)
4.    Trial size soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant
5.    Toothbrushes, disposable razors, Ziploc sandwich bags
6.    Blankets
7.    Towels/ hand wash cloths
8.    Tissue/Kleenex
9.    Hand sanitizer
10.    Water Bottles
For larger donations of blankets (over 35) we can pick up!! Call Larry Davis at NEOCH 216/432-0540 or bring them downtown to 3631 Perkins Ave. just off of I-90 near Cleveland State University.
Press call 32 at the door. 

We are delivering the toys and household items we have collected on Thursday of this week as part of the NBC Toy Drive.

Last reminder that the Homeless Memorial Day is Wednesday December 21, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. at St. Patricks Hunger Center on the near west side of Cleveland on the corner of Bridge Ave and West 37th St.  State Senator Nina Turner will be our featured speaker along with religious leaders.

Brian
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Hand Up Auction Held

Luke at the Hand Up Gala October 2011

Blanket Drive is Underway

Alcoa employees are collecting blankets and delivering them this week.  We had a friend from Community Shares pull the names from the Hand Up Gala auction today, which was the kickoff of the blanket drive.  Those who won an auction item will be receiving their thank you gift certificates in the first part of next week.  We can accept blankets on any weekday, and every other Saturday.  Call for more details or schedule a time to drop off the blankets.  Our goal is to collect 5,000 blankets this winter. Thank you for your support, and those tired and weary who will benefit from your donation thank you. 

Brian
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Olivet Baptist Church Collects Blankets

Blankets Collected from Olivet Baptist Church 2011

Thanks for your Support

The members of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church collected well over 400 blankets for homeless people in Cleveland this summer.  This was a part of their "Christmas in July" celebration.  We have already delivered half of the blankets to the Bishop Cosgrove Center and to Care Alliance.  Tonight we will give out the rest to the outreach teams who go out every night and serve those resistant to shelter in Cleveland.  Each of the blankets has a gift tag with the name of the donor.  Thanks to the Adams', the Lawsons', and to Ms. Pitts, and the hundreds of other families who contributed a blanket from the church.  Our volunteer coordinator, Larry Davis, was overwhelmed with the large number of blanket the members of Olivet collected when he picked them up this week.

This reminds us that winter is right around the corner, and we have a goal of collecting 5,000 blankets this winter up from 3,000 last year.  As part of this blanket collection, we are collaborating with the Bishop Cosgrove Center on a kickoff luncheon on October 21, 2011 called the Hand Up Gala.  For everyone who donates their name will be entered into a fabulous auction.  All proceeds that we raise from the fundraiser will go to the collection and distribution of blankets and winter items over the next six months.  You can donate to this fundraiser on-line and indicate "hand up gala" in the purpose line by clicking here.

Brian
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Hand Up Gala 2011

Fund Raiser to Kick Off Winter Activities

The Bishop Cosgrove Center and the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless introduce the second annual Hand Up Gala 2011 on October 21, 2011. NEOCH is partnering with Catholic Charities to host the Hand Up Gala 2011 in order to improve the lives of men and women in Cleveland with additional help getting people to jobs and winter supplies such as blankets and winter clothing. We will kick off these activities with a gourmet meal prepared by a Celebrity Chef in an event we call the Hand Up Gala. We hope to build on the successful 2010 event, and raise support for the two social service organizations in Cleveland. The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless is using this Gala to kick off our winter 2011-12 events and Cosgrove is using the proceeds to assist homeless people with their transportation needs.

The Hand Up Gala this year will again be prepared by a local celebrity Executive Sous Chef John Aldewereld of the Sans Souci Restaurant, and none of the proceeds go to preparing the dinner. Last year, we served 185 people who were able to enjoy music and a wonderful meal prepared by San Souci Chef John Aldewereld and Michael Lyon. This year we are holding the Gala on October 21, 2011 and we need your support for this event. Please donate to the Coalition to support the Hand Up Gala, and all the proceeds go to NEOCH's winter activities or the Bishop Cosgrove helping with the transportation of homeless people.

Our two nonprofit charities serve hundreds of people every month struggling with their housing, and want to combine our expertise to provide a great meal for homeless people. We are working every day to reduce homelessness and improve the lives of those experiencing homelessness in Cleveland. NEOCH devotes time and resources to advocacy, public education and programs designed to assist homeless men and women break the cycle of poverty and work their way out of homelessness. A few of NEOCH’s initiatives include free legal assistance, an affordable housing website, and publications of research and reference guides. Catholic Charities supports a comprehensive continuum of care to fragile populations throughout Northeast Ohio. The Bishop Cosgrove Center offers a breakfast and lunch to hundreds of hungry people everyday and provides supportive services to those who have struggling to find a hand out of poverty. Bishop Cosgrove serves more than 50,000 meals to the hungry every year.

This event is in lieu of the typical non-profit dinner and auction. It will mark the beginning of our winter blanket collection and the Cosgrove are using the proceeds to purchase bus tickets and provide transporation to homeless people to get them to jobs, housing or medical appointments . Last year, NEOCH collected and distributed over 3,000 winter blankets to homeless people. In this spirit, the Bishop Cosgrove Center and NEOCH are planning the Celebrity Chef Luncheon on October 21, 2011, as an opportunity for the homeless community to come together to enjoy some great food prepared by one of Cleveland’s famous chefs. We are seeking your support to make this event a success. Everyone who donates at least $45 to the event will have their name entered in an auction. At this point, the Doubletree Hotel on Lakeside, Cleveland Public Theatre, the Nautica Queen, among others have provided auction items. For a complete list of auction items go here.

We hope that you will support this unique event in the community.

Brian
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Blanket Drive 2011 Revisited

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Underwear Turns into Blankets

As many of our faithful blog readers may remember just before the holiday season NEOCH received a donation of new thong underwear for 100 homeless women. As one can imagine NEOCH staff were a little taken aback by the donation. We wondered if it would appear inappropriate for us to donate them to shelters. To address this concern we put it to a vote on our blog, and contacted The Plain Dealer. The blog readers voted that we should go ahead and donate them. The Plain Dealer article mentioned that during the winter month’s blankets and warm clothing is also a welcome and much needed donation. Those one hundred pairs of thong underwear generated many blanket donations. I just recently drove to Olmstead Falls to pick up a large number of blankets. A local business owner in Olmstead Falls coordinated a blanket drive after reading about the donation of thongs in the newspaper. This Olmstead Falls resident said she plans on doing another blanket drive next year.

Many blankets were donated due to the major media outlets that went into a frenzy over the discovery of Ted Williams and his “Golden Voice.” Brian Davis was interviewed in response to Mr. Williams’s overnight success. Brian pointed out that Cleveland’s homeless shelters are full of talented people. He also pointed out that on an average night roughly 4,000 people are homeless in Cleveland and that the donation of blankets is vital to survival in the winter months. The owner of a Medina County auto repair store (RADAIR, Complete Car Care) viewed this interview on the news and coordinated an expansive blanket drive that raised almost 1,000 blankets, many were waterproof outdoor blankets which the homeless outreach workers of Cleveland, who visit people living outside on a regularly basis greatly appreciated. These waterproof outdoor blankets were amazing, and all of us have to thank Lisa and the other RADAIR staff for all their hard work.

These are just two examples of the many blanket donations NEOCH has received. Since December over 1500 blankets have been donated to NEOCH and distributed to various shelters and homeless social service providers. The community has done a fantastic job in helping those living in the shelters and on the streets of Cleveland.

by Holly Lyon
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We Need Blankets!!!

The Shelters Are In Need of Your Help!!

The Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry Men's Homeless Shelter at 2100 Lakeside is in need of blankets for their residents. The economic downturn has caused them to lose a few of the sources they had supplying their blankets so they have asked for our help. They will take any new or good used blankets in any size. Please consider doing a blanket drive where you work or at your faith congregation for 2100 Lakeside Shelter. Blankets can be dropped off at the shelter on your way to work, at lunch, or on the way home. If you do a blanket drive and can collect more than 30 blankets one of the shelters would be happy to pick them up for you. For more information or to schedule a pick up call NEOCH at 432-0540 ext. 103

Brian
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