There is still time to string up a clothesline and hang Ziplock bags containing hats, mittens, scarves and important information for the homeless during the annual Warm It Forward McKean County program, which begins Monday.
Participating organizations, that include the United Way of the Bradford Area, will have clotheslines displayed in front of the facilities through Friday. The bags will contain winter accessories as well as printed information about who to contact if the recipient or someone they know is struggling with housing issues.
Sonja Bacha of the United Way said the agency’s office on Main Street has received numerous donations of winter accessories over the past couple of weeks. Additional outerwear accessories will be accepted throughout the week, as the donations will be provided to participating agencies that need to replenish their clotheslines.
“We, at the office here, got quite a few items,” Bacha said. “I know other places where they’re putting up lines got quite a few donations, also.”
Entities interested in helping the project are still welcome to call the United Way office Monday for information and supplies for their clotheslines.
“If we have items here, we’ll be happy for them to come over and get whatever they need,” Bacha said. “People can also drop off donations anytime through the week, it won’t be problem at all.”
The second-annual project is sponsored by The Collaborative Board of McKean County through the county Housing Coalition. The event is part of an awareness event which takes place during a count of the homeless in communities throughout the nation in January. The count, which is expected to be done by the end of January, is required of all communities by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In Bradford, clotheslines will also be strung in front of the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce, Bradford City Hall, Evergreen Elm, CNB Bank, First Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church, YWCA Bradford, Episcopal Church of the Ascension, Bradford Regional Medical Center and Community Links.
Lee Sizemore, administer of the McKean County Department of Human Services in Smethport, said clotheslines will also be displayed in front of Northwest Savings in Smethport.
In addition, collection boxes for donations have been placed at the McKean County Courthouse by the county commissioners, the McKean County Redevelopment and Housing Authority and at the Department of Human Services.
Sizemore said the program was successful last year and had many of the clothesline bags taken by the needy.
“I know that First Presbyterian (in Bradford) put out over 100 bags and all of them were taken,” she recalled. “It’s inviting enough that it really is there for anyone.”
Sizemore said information in the bags contains a card with a one phone number for the needy to call for help. The number will connect people with the county Housing Authority.
“Sometimes it is rather complex to know how to get housing,” Sizemore explained. “They have folks there (at the Housing Authority) who can let them know about shelter options and housing assistance.”
Sizemore said homelessness continues to be an issue in the county and surrounding area.
“There’s always a waiting list at the YWCA for shelter,” she said. “We have folks on that waiting list we are also serving.”
She said homeless on waiting lists often stay with friends or relatives until shelter space becomes available.
“There are street homeless, also,” she added. “That’s why we’re doing this count because we really want to know how many homeless we have” in the county.
Sizemore said a survey conducted with area churches and shelters in the winter of 2014-15 revealed 72 women and children were housed at the YWCA Bradford. An additional 79 vouchers were provided to the homeless for hotels during that same period.
Sizemore said a sign placed by each clothesline sums up the mission of the project.
It says, “Warm it Forward McKean County. Take what you need or warm it forward to someone in need. We hope that you will take one of these bags to make sure you or a loved one are safe and warm in the cold weather.”
For more information, to participate or make a donation, call the United Way office weekdays at 368-6181 or send emails to Mandi Wilton Davis, United Way executive director, at admin@uwbanews.org.
