Coat To Sleeping Bag: ‘Sheltersuit’ Helps Homeless In Newark

NEWARK, NJ — There are hundreds of people sleeping on the streets of Newark on any given night, according to recent statistics. But some of them now have a way of fighting back against the dangerous cold: a winter coat that transforms into a sleeping bag.

Recently, the Netherlands-based Sheltersuit Foundation teamed up with nonprofit Bridges Outreach to hand out 30 free “Sheltersuits” at the Newark Public Library.

The wind and waterproof coats come with an attached sleeping bag, which homeless people can quickly turn into an ad-hoc shelter when the weather turns bad.

According to the Sheltersuit Foundation, the unique piece of clothing has seen tremendous success in Europe, where it’s been a boon to homeless people as well as displaced migrants.

The nonprofit is now looking to spread some love to New Jersey, including Newark, where there were 1,927 homeless people as of the last “Point In Time” count… including 286 without any roofs over their heads.

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“Every human being deserves warmth, protection and dignity,” Sheltersuit stated. “It’s as simple as that.”

“Our ultimate mission is to end homelessness, but we also understand this will not happen overnight,” the nonprofit says. “So we want to offer our solution to protect our most vulnerable right now.”

As part of their effort to give a hand up to homeless people in the Tri-State Area, the nonprofit has set up a factory in New York which employs formerly homeless or at-risk residents. The materials used in creating the coats and suits are sources from scraps and “deadstock” fabric from other factories.

Partnering with Bridges Outreach – a group that’s been reaching out to homeless people in Newark, Irvington and Summit for nearly three decades – was a no-brainer, the inventors of the Sheltersuit said.

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In the near future, the nonprofit plans to launch another campaign to raise awareness about the devasting crisis of homeless children.

“In Newark alone, there are 700 children experiencing homelessness,” Sheltersuit staff told Patch. “We want to raise enough money to give them all coats and backpacks this winter so they can go to school and feel confident.”

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