SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (KCBS RADIO) – The onset of cold weather has the unhoused in the Bay Area in search of anything to keep them warm as the temperatures drop. Nonprofits are working to keep up with the demand.
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Many Bay Area communities struggle with homelessness. In Marin County, those living on the street carry little with them and often don't, or can't, plan ahead for the change in weather patterns.
Kelly Penny with the Ritter Center in San Rafael told KCBS Radio the first few days of the cold season tend to bring the most need.
"We're seeing a lot of people coming in asking for coats, sleeping bags, socks, shoes, hand warmers — anything to help them keep warm at night," she said.
Penny said Marin County has seen a modest increase in homelessness in the past few years. The Ritter Center provides services to more than 2,500 people annually, of whom more than a third live on the street.
The center also serves the community as a food pantry. "With the change in the season it has rapidly gone from very hot to very cold at night and the need for ways to stay warm while living on the streets is increasing."
As the winter weather rolls in, to keep up with demand the Ritter Center is appealing to the local community, looking for donations of new or gently used winter wear. Everything from backpacks to monetary donations will be accepted.
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