Lindsay Chung
Observer Contributor
As the weather gets colder in the Cariboo, a group of College of New Caledonia (CNC) students is trying to make sure homeless people in the community will be able to stay warm.
Students in the Social Service Worker Certificate program at CNC Quesnel are holding a Clothes for the Cold campaign to collect warm clothing and accessories for the Quesnel Shelter and Support Society, which will then distribute the items to adults and children in our community who need them.
Student Kathleen Cooper, who is the lead organizer along with Amber Woodruff, says they have a cohort of eight students, and the entire class is involved in the Clothes for the Cold campaign. She says CNC social service work courses have done campaigns to help the community before, and they changed the name this year.
Students have set up a tent inside the CNC Quesnel campus, beside the library, where people can drop off items such as coats, snowpants, gloves, toques, hats, scarves, boots, toe warmers, hand warmers, socks, underwear and long underwear.
“We’re accepting anything to keep people warm,” says Cooper. “We’re trying to help make sure everyone stays warm this winter.”
Students are accepting donations at the college until Oct. 12. As well, anyone who has items to donate but cannot drop them off can contact Tyson at 250-255-9913 to arrange for pick up.
The Clothes for the Cold campaign began Sept. 24, and Cooper says they have already filled four large bins and a bag with clothing and accessories.
“We’ve already seen snowpants, hoodies, boots,” she says. “It’s been pretty amazing. We noticed the day after we set it up, we already had bags in there. The community has been amazing.”
As the campaign starts to wind down, Cooper hopes the final week will be a big one.
“We just want to help out as much as we can before the cold snap really hits,” she says. “Nobody likes to be cold. If anybody is able to and willing to bring any donation down, we really appreciate it.”
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