People’s City Mission requests gloves, blankets for rest of winter

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Despite the warm forecast, colder weather could still be in our future this winter, which is why the People’s City Mission is asking the community for supplies.

“We’re not out of the woods just yet, and we could really use supplies, like particularly gloves, blankets,” said Pastor Tom Barber, the CEO of the shelter. “That’s what we’re short on right now, and it would really be helpful just to keep the guys warm, and some of the families, too.”

Barber said the mission doesn’t store items because they’re handed out pretty quickly.

Since November, he said the mission has lodged an estimated 90% of Lincoln’s homeless population.

Barber said the shelter has given out 14,096 nights of lodging to men this winter.

“It can snow or not snow, and that may not bring some of the guys off the streets into the mission,” he said. “But when it gets cold, the actual weather gets cold, and the wind chill gets near zero, that starts to bring everybody in.”

Those statistics are on track with the past couple of years, but Barber said the mission is starting to see the totals creep up over time.

“We’re seeing the numbers expand as Lincoln expands,” Barber said. “The bigger we get as a city, the bigger our homeless population is going to get, too.”

He said although inflation hasn’t caused any major disruptions at the shelter, he’s had to keep a close eye on the budget this winter.

“We do 220,000 meals, so you can imagine the cost of food on that,” he said.

Barber said the mission has been blessed with a generous community, and he’s thankful for the donations Lincoln has made this year already.

To learn more about donating, visit the shelter’s website.