Donate The Gift Of Warmth To Homeless Residents Of Herndon, Reston

RESTON, VA — Now that winter is here, The Be SAFE Network is collecting donations to help the homeless people living in the Reston and Herndon area to stay warm.

"We do an annual fundraiser every year," said Marybeth Henry, the president and CEO of The Be SAFE Network. "Last year, we did a fundraiser for food for Food for Neighbors. "This year, with with the expectation of a colder than normal winter, we thought supporting the hypothermia shelter would be a good way to go."

All the donations that The SAFE Network receives will be used to pay for personal care kits, which will be distributed to the customers of the Cornerstones hypothermia shelter in Reston.

Each kit, which can be sponsored for $15, contains shower gel, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, a toothbrush, warm socks, and a hat. Donations can be made online to The Be SAFE Network's PayPal account.

The Be SAFE Network's goal is to raise enough money to purchase 200 kits for the winter. So far, 70 kits have been donated toward that goal.

"If somebody wants to donate $5, but they can't sponsor a whole kit, that's OK," Henry said. "We'll take any donation and you know, we'll just make the number of kits we can."

Donations don't even have to be cash. One woman donated hand-knitted hats that were then distributed to local homeless people, according to Henry.

"What a great gift of love to the people who need that warmth," she said. "If somebody wants to donate that instead of donating money, that's great, too."

To find out how to make a non-monetary donation, email Marybeth Henry at henrymb20170@yahoo.com.