Warren Group In Need Of Help Filling Backpacks For The Homeless

The organizer of a Warren County charity said efforts are behind to fill backpacks for the homeless this winter.

Operation Safe Winter hoped to have the backpacks out by mid month, but that has been pushed back several weeks. Member Johnathon King said they need all the help they can get seeking donations, receiving donations and packing and delivering the backpacks to the homeless.

“Unfortunately with the way things are, inflation is still going up,” King said. “Things aren’t cheap, and if we want to reach the most amount of people, we need the most amount of people that are willing to reach out.”

King said they need winter clothes, sanitary items, basic medical supplies and perishable food. King said people can help by reaching out through the Operation Safe winter Facebook page. There is also a link to an Amazon Wish list there with items they need to fill the backpacks.

“This is the first time I’ve every done anything of this scale or magnitude,” King said. “So, I’m really trying hard to find my feet with this one. We’ve gotten off to a slow start.”

King said even if you cannot volunteer to help to reach out to you love and all those around you to see if they are doing well.

“The holiday season can be a very dark time for a lot of people and with the world as it is today, we’re sitting here post pandemic, a lot of conflict through out the world,” King said. “I want to encourage everyone to try to take some time, rather that be through interacting with Operation Safe Winter or some other faction, take some time to reach out to your neighbors. We’re all going through this together.”

He said he is looking for donations from businesses, doctors offices and individuals.

“My family and I could probably afford to do maybe five to ten backpacks, which is a start, but it doesn’t go far enough because there are more than five to ten people that are homeless in this area,” King said.