ATLANTA — Volunteers gathered on Wednesday morning to put together warmth kits for Atlanta’s homeless population as temperatures are expected to drop on Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach was at Hope Atlanta’s Shelter and Community Kitchen as Georgia’s Own Credit Union employees packed bags of food and essential items for a family of four like hats, gloves, scarves and hand warmers.
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“Holidays are a time when a lot of families are in need, so we thought this was a great time to pool our resources and come together,” Georgia’s Own Foundation Director Marin Kraushaar said.
Georgia’s Own donated $6,000 to build 90 kits, representing the credit union’s 90th anniversary this month.
The City of Atlanta’s latest count found more than 2,800 people experiencing homelessness. More than 1,000 of them are not in shelters or transitional housing.
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“Right now, we’re doing collections for blankets, hats, gloves…Make sure people are staying safe on the street,” said Hope Atlanta Chief Development Officer Kellie Glenn.
Glenn says extra resources help year-round, but these kits are going to emergency services and outreach teams to be put to use immediately.
“Troops on the ground going out to under bridges, abandoned houses, the MARTA, the airport, providing necessary items for them so they can have comfort, can have food, can stay warm,” Glenn said.
Over the last decade, Georgia’s Own has sent volunteers to Hope Atlanta every month.
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