Bellarmine College Prep’s 28th Annual Winter Warmth Drive was successful on many fronts. More than 720 blankets and 125 sleeping bags were contributed by members of the Bellarmine community at several campus happenings, such as the student organized Celebration of Song that included students from Presentation and Notre Dame high schools, and Thanksgiving Prayer Service. Warm clothing and sleeping bags were also collected at the annual Suds for Duds event presented by the Dads’ Club.
Other events during the November 8-19 Winter Warmth Drive included the poverty simulation and solidarity sleepout; a Faces and Stories of Houselessness panel; a performance by the school’s improv comedy troupe, Sanguine Humours, at its Mainstage Show; and bag lunch distribution to unhoused neighbors at Columbus Park in San Jose.
Donations received by Bellarmine, which included sleeping bags, blankets, coats, jackets, new socks, and other warm clothing for men, women, and children, were delivered to Sacred Heart Community Service and HomeFirst, two agencies which provide services to the underserved and the houseless in San Jose.
Special thanks to all who contributed to the Winter Warmth Drive and to the Christian Service Program (CSP) team, led by CSP director Anne Maloney, for coordinating the effort on behalf of those in need.