Local nonprofit organizations say they have been blessed with winter donations

Yahoo

09-02-2025

Feb. 8—Some local nonprofit organizations have seen an increase in winter items donated this season, and leaders say the public has been very aware of community needs, especially during the frigid January temperatures.
"Our community has really come out since it's been so cold," said Hands Across Decatur (HAD) CEO Sue Terrell. "Our community has been very, very gracious with us.
"It was so cold, and people realize there really are people out there with no heat, nowhere to go," she said. "In their tents, if they have tents. Some just have tarps, some sleep in stairways. Some people sleep in dumpsters. Can you imagine sleeping in a dumpster? There's nowhere to go."
Pamela Bolding, Neighborhood Christian Center (NCC) executive director, said they have also had lots of donations this winter, surpassing those they received last winter.
"We have been very blessed to have people who just really take care of us in donating," she said. "Also, somebody sees that 'needs' list we put out in our newsletter and on our website. When we put that out, people are really great about jumping on that and helping meet those needs."
Terrell said, even with the extra donations this winter, they are still in need of items, including small propane stoves; hand, feet and full body warmers; and monetary donations. She said they are always in need of men's shoes sized 9 to 13 and men's jeans sized 28 to 36.
"Right now, I think we're down to about four sleeping bags. We have no tents left at all; they're gone," she said. "Because of the weather we have right now, it's been pretty windy and wet, and the tents don't last real long in this kind of weather. They blow away or they get holes in them."
HAD gives out about 28 sleeping bags a week when they have them, Terrell said. She said as soon as tents come in, they are immediately given away. However, tents are not often donated, Terrell said. She said they are also in need of volunteers.
Bolding said when the NCC receives sleeping bags or tents, she typically takes them to HAD to be distributed. She said, even though donations have been great, they are still lacking coats of all sizes. She said they are also low on boys' and men's clothing. Bolding said they could always use more hand warmers.
"Blankets, things like that (are needed). When it's cold, you need more of the bedding and the blankets," she said. "A lot of people we serve, you may think they have a lot of that stuff in their home, and they don't necessarily. And then you have the homeless people, too. When those temps drop, there's extra things that they need."
Bolding said this winter the number of new people coming through NCC's doors has nearly doubled. She said in October and November they served about 36 new people each month, and about 17 new people in December. Bolding said during October and November they served a total of about 180 people per week.
December is a shorter month for the NCC due to the holidays and their Christmas toy drive. However, they still gave out about 780 clothing items and about 200 home items such as bedding, among other things like food and hygiene items, Bolding said. She said they gave out around 1,400 clothing items and around 350 household and bedding items in January.
"There's 84 coats and jackets that we've given away in January," Bolding said. "That's definitely higher than normal."
Ashely Boyd, Committee on Church Cooperation (CCC) executive director, said they have received fewer donations this winter than last winter. She said with frigid temperatures there were more needs, especially from the homeless population.
"We were able to thankfully meet those needs," Boyd said. "However, across the board I would say donations are down in general. But that's to be expected a little bit. With the economy, folks are still struggling. Volunteerism and donations tend to be on a downward trajectory."
Boyd said they are in need of volunteers. She said the CCC gives out between 2,000 and 3,000 articles of clothing per week from their clothing closet. She said they had a service group that did a massive drive and were able to get a large amount of children's winter coats donated.
"The beauty of this place, you speak, it happens. We've not gone without," she said. "When warming centers were opening up, we were able to share with other agencies, and we are still able to share. So, I really can't complain."
The CCC has seen an uptick, Boyd said, in the request for homeless specific items. While they serve the homeless, she said they do not meet all their needs, so they sometimes direct people to HAD.
"If that's a service that they're offering, we want to enhance that, not take it from them," Boyd said.
Boyd said the CCC needs donations of coats and jackets, warm weather clothing, blankets, hand warmers, sleeping bags, tarps and tents. She said they have received many requests for individual heaters, such as space heaters, but they are not getting any donated.
"Space heaters are something that by the time you get rid of yours it's because it's broken or needs replacing," Boyd said. "There are a lot of people here living in substandard housing or maybe can't afford to turn on their heat."
Boyd said they do not have a surplus of any winter items.
"I'm hesitant to ever say, 'no, we won't take this; we have an excess,' because today's excess will be tomorrow's shortage," she said.
Tangible items for the CCC are accepted Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., depending on staff, at the CCC side door, which is located at 119 First Avenue Northeast in Decatur. Donations are not to be left outside when the donation door is closed. Monetary donations can be dropped off at the facility, mailed to P.O. Box 131, Decatur, Alabama 35602, or donated online at committeeonchurch.org.
To make a monetary donation to HAD, people can pay through PayPal at @handsacrossdecatur, or at CashApp at $haddecatur. Checks, cash or winter items can be donated at HAD, located at 1027 Fifth Avenue Southeast in Decatur. If donating after hours, call 256-686-4423 or 256-654-6371.
Tangible items for the NCC are accepted Mondays through Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursdays 9 a.m. to noon at the NCC, which is located at 619 Bank St. in Decatur. Items ordered online can be sent to the address listed above and monetary donations can be dropped off or mailed to the same address.
—[e-mail] or 256-340-2460.