MADISON — Annually for 22 years, thousands of generous donors have searched their closets, wallets, and purses to provide the Society of St. Vincent de Paul with the resources to give gently used and new blankets to Dane County people in need.
The society’s annual “Recycle the Warmth Blanket Drive” — long held on January’s last full weekend — will once again offer the community an opportunity to share some practical comfort with local families struggling with poverty.
The society’s yearly blanket drive seeks and collects donations of several thousand new and gently used blankets and bedding that St. Vincent de Paul then gives away all year long to low-income households lacking these items.
Collection points
From 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, and Saturday, Jan. 25, St. Vincent de Paul volunteers will staff Recycle the Warmth collection points at all four Madison-area Shopko stores. For this drive, Shopko will offer a blanket at an attractive sale price to maximize the buying power of donors who would like to contribute new items.
Blankets and other bedding will also be collected at Dane County’s six St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores.
At least 43 local religious congregations are expected to collect for the drive on Saturday, Jan. 25, and Sunday, Jan. 26. Donors may contact St. Vincent de Paul at 608-442-7200 for participating places of worship. Congregations taking part in the drive will also be listed on the St. Vincent de Paul web site at: www.svdpmadison.org/recyclewarmth.html
Need for blankets, bedding
“The lack of blankets and bedding remains one of the most common experiences our members relate from their visits to households requesting help,” said Ralph Middlecamp, executive director of the society’s District Council of Madison. “Donating to St. Vincent de Paul through this drive is an expression of our community’s concern for some of its most vulnerable residents.”
“For good health, for performance at school or work, and for general well-being, people having enough warmth and comfort to get a decent night’s sleep really matters,” Middlecamp said.
The need for items as basic as blankets and bedding remains high among households struggling with poverty, Middlecamp said. He added that St. Vincent de Paul typically provides three to five blankets for each individual in a household when the society’s members encounter this sort of need.
“The generosity of donors during our Recycle the Warmth Blanket Drive allows us to meet this need year-round,” he said.
Each year, all bedding collected through the Recycle the Warmth drive — or purchased by the society with funds donors provide — is given away to people in need during the next 12 months. The drive annually collects new and gently used blankets, comforters, sheets, pillowcases, and sleeping bags.
How society helps poor
Other ways St. Vincent de Paul serves local low-income households include:
• Operating one of Dane County’s largest food pantries and Wisconsin’s first stand-alone charitable pharmacy.
• Supplying clothing, furniture, housewares, new air mattresses, and new portable cribs free through vouchers used at the society’s local thrift stores.
• Providing energy assistance.
• Offering housing programs for men, women, and children.
Media sponsors for this year’s St. Vincent de Paul Recycle the Warmth Blanket Drive are television stations WISC-TV and TVW, and the following Midwest Family Broadcasting radio stations: Q-106FM, Magic 98FM, jAMZ-93.1FM, Solid Rock JJO-94.1FM, La Movida-1480AM, HANK on 1550AM, and The ZONE-1670AM/106.7FM.
On Friday, Jan. 24, Q106 personalities will join St. Vincent de Paul volunteers and greet donors at the Recycle the Warmth collection site inside Shopko’s Madison-West store, 7401 Mineral Point Rd.
Tax-deductible monetary donations are welcome and will help buy blankets and bedding for people in need. Checks may be made payable to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and sent to: Society of St. Vincent de Paul-RTW, P.O. Box 259686, Madison, WI 53725-9686.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization. All aid offered by the society is provided without regard to the religious affiliation, race, or ethnicity of those assisted.