The staff at A Beautiful Reflection Day Spa is hoping to make the holidays a little warmer for Turlock’s homeless with their second annual Blanketing the Homeless drive. They are collecting new, wrapped blankets to be distributed as Christmas gifts to residents of two homeless shelters in town. This is the second year that Kerry Strickland and the staff of A Beautiful Reflection have collected blankets for homeless Turlockers.

“It really seems like we have seen more homeless people downtown lately. I don’t know if they sleep there all night, but they are out there late and it is cold,” Strickland said.

The blankets will be given to Turlock Gospel Mission and We Care for shelter residents. Last year, Strickland said that every person housed at a shelter in Turlock was given a blanket, with a few left over for people on waiting lists. This year they hope to at least double the more than 100 blankets they collected last year.

A Beautiful Reflection will be accepting new, gift wrapped blankets at the Main Street location during the downtown Christmas parade on Friday. They will be offering coupons for an eyebrow wax, threading, manicure or 10 minute massage to each donor during that time. They will also accept donations of new, un-wrapped blankets, scotch tape and wrapping paper. Strickland said that anyone who can’t make it during the parade can drop donations by the spa any time before Friday.

Blanketing the Homeless accepts both adult and child sized blankets, but needs more for adults than children. The blankets are intended as gifts and Strickland requests that they be new, rather than used. A Beautiful Reflection is located at 228 E. Main St., and will be open from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for donations. Coupons for free services will only be distributed to donors during that time frame.

To contact Andrea Goodwin, e-mail agoodwin@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2003.