Socks! Tarps! Tents! Sleeping bags! Hygiene and First Aid supplies!
The rainy season is upon us, and those living outside will face our cold, windy winter weather with fewer than ever options to get out of the elements.
Local officials say fewer than half of last year’s 400 overnight shelter beds will be regularly available this winter. With the closure of the Community Care Center, people have few options for places to dry off and get warm during the day.
You can help.
Do you have a tent, tarp, sleeping bags, blankets, or other camping and survival supplies that you no longer use? Would you consider donating them to our houseless neighbors at Olympia Mutual Aid Partner’s (OlyMAP) supply drive or arranging for a no-contact pickup?
OlyMAP will be collecting items from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, September 30, at the POWER Office, 309 Fifth Ave. S.E. (next to Rainy Day Records). A pop-up shelter in the parking lot will be set up to take donations
Also, if you wish to arrange for a no-contact pickup of donations donate, OlyMAP asks that you email admin@olymap.org.
Check out the supply list on their website for a guide to commonly requested items.
OlyMAP’s mission “is to support the right of all people to have a safe and warm place to call home by centering the voices of unhoused and marginalized peoples, challenging systems of oppression, building bridges between housed and unhoused community members through engagement and education, and by offering health, safety, self-management, self-advocacy, and survival support to our neighbors living outdoors. “
Find out more about OlyMAP at https://olymap.org/
