SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Vermont’s annual Homelessness Awareness Day is held this year on Jan. 18. During this time, Springfield Supported Housing Programs (SSHP) is holding a donation drive.
On Thursday, Jan. 18, SSHP will be at the Springfield Town Library as part of the “Your Donation Makes a Difference. Be the Change, Help Change a Life” event, a donation drive to create welcome baskets for individuals and families entering their safe and affordable home. SSHP is accepting new donations, including Bed-in-a-Bag, new utensils/knife sets, twin mattresses and bed frames, laundry baskets, pot and pan sets, etc., for individuals transitioning into a new home. We also accept cash, gas cards, and gift cards. We have a QR code for our PayPal, and have created an Amazon wish list (www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/36S4G0FMYYDKS).We hope to bring awareness to our community through these events. Any support is greatly appreciated. Donations will be accepted even after the event has passed, as SSHP makes welcome baskets on an ongion basis.
Throughout the week of Jan. 18, the Springfield Town Library will be showing “The Homestretch,” a movie about three homeless teenagers who brave Chicago winters, the pressures of high school, and life alone on the streets to build a brighter future. The movie is showing on Jan. 15-17 and 19, at 1 p.m., and on Jan. 18, at 6 p.m., at the Springfield Town Library.
SSHP, along with other housing coalitions in the state, will be presenting a purple flag display of all of the individuals they serve in Windsor and Windham counties. These flags represent the number of people experiencing homelessness in these counties, and can be further broken down by age group.