Turlock Gospel Mission now has enough blankets to last through the winter, thanks to the generosity of Turlockers.
A blanket drive, which commenced shortly before November and was publicized in the Turlock Journal, generated the donations of between 150 and 200 blankets to the Turlock Gospel Mission.
“People just kept bringing them in to me,” said Darlene Piersma, who volunteers weekly with the Turlock Gospel Mission and spearheaded the blanket drive. “… The community was really super nice.”
The blankets, along with sleeping bags and coats that were donated, will be distributed to Turlock’s poor and homeless.
The non-profit Turlock Gospel Mission is best known for its Winter Relief Ministry, which partners with churches to offer overnight accommodation to homeless women and children during the winter months. The Gospel Mission also caters to Turlockers who are simply hungry, through the year-round nightly Meal Ministry.
“Not everyone who comes to the Gospel Mission is on the street,” Piersma said. “We’ve had a couple of our guests who have been able to get into a place to live but they didn't have anything to keep warm.”
Piersma said she and her coworkers at Coldwell Banker Endsley and Associates, which served as the drop-off point for the blanket drive, enjoyed watching the blankets come in as the community rallied to support the Turlock Gospel Mission.
While Piersma noted that enough blankets have been gathered, she stated that monetary donations were still needed to help pay for staffing and transportation costs, to keep the Gospel Mission running through winter. The Turlock Gospel Mission runs entirely on donations.
Further donations can be sent to the Turlock Gospel Mission at P.O. Box 1231, Turlock, CA 95381.
To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.
A blanket drive, which commenced shortly before November and was publicized in the Turlock Journal, generated the donations of between 150 and 200 blankets to the Turlock Gospel Mission.
“People just kept bringing them in to me,” said Darlene Piersma, who volunteers weekly with the Turlock Gospel Mission and spearheaded the blanket drive. “… The community was really super nice.”
The blankets, along with sleeping bags and coats that were donated, will be distributed to Turlock’s poor and homeless.
The non-profit Turlock Gospel Mission is best known for its Winter Relief Ministry, which partners with churches to offer overnight accommodation to homeless women and children during the winter months. The Gospel Mission also caters to Turlockers who are simply hungry, through the year-round nightly Meal Ministry.
“Not everyone who comes to the Gospel Mission is on the street,” Piersma said. “We’ve had a couple of our guests who have been able to get into a place to live but they didn't have anything to keep warm.”
Piersma said she and her coworkers at Coldwell Banker Endsley and Associates, which served as the drop-off point for the blanket drive, enjoyed watching the blankets come in as the community rallied to support the Turlock Gospel Mission.
While Piersma noted that enough blankets have been gathered, she stated that monetary donations were still needed to help pay for staffing and transportation costs, to keep the Gospel Mission running through winter. The Turlock Gospel Mission runs entirely on donations.
Further donations can be sent to the Turlock Gospel Mission at P.O. Box 1231, Turlock, CA 95381.
To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.
