The sudden cold snap and added snow caught a lot of us off guard during Operation White Flag in early November. “A couple of things happened. We didn’t have an adequate number of coats for the men. When it gets cold as early as it did this year, the guys on the street don’t have winter coats yet, so a lot more come to the shelter during White Flag,” said Lonnie Williams, Assistant Director of Programs at St. Vincent de Paul Louisville. “Also, street outreach groups drop off men at the shelter all night,” Williams added.
Williams continued, “We started out taking 20 men during White Flag, then upped it to 30 and then 40, but we never turn anyone away. This year, we started out with 25 air mattresses, but then have around 42 men to shelter.”
A plea for air mattresses and blankets was answered and we were able to recover quickly and continue to provide a warm, safe place for the men seeking shelter from the weather. For that we thank you.
As we head into winter, Operation White Flag will go into effect more often and the need for resources will increase. If you would like to drop off air mattresses, pumps, blankets, sheets, pillows, and coats, please call us at (502) 584-2480 and we can coordinate your donation.
Leave a Reply