During the month of November, Portland State is featuring an on-campus donation drive, partnering with Operation Nightwatch to help collect blankets, socks, warm clothing and books for Portland’s homeless population.
Collection bins will be located in Smith Memorial Student Union, Cramer Hall, Neuberger Hall, the Science Research and Teaching Center, the School of Education and the library until Nov. 29.
Paula Henderson, a PSU senior and volunteer with Operation Nightwatch, organized the campus drive. Henderson noticed the charitable organization had very few warm clothing items to hand out to the homeless this winter and decided to organize collection sites on campus to ensure the program’s success.
“They had no socks and no blankets to hand out, and I wanted to find a way to make sure the organization had what they needed to help the homeless stay warm and dry,” Henderson said.
PSU fraternity Phi Delta Theta will help with the drive by collecting and storing any donated items until they can be delivered to Operation Nightwatch’s downtown facility.
“Working with the charity drive affords us an opportunity to get involved in outreach to support other student organizations in philanthropy efforts,” said Brian Owlsey, president of Phi Delta Theta. Owlsey said that philanthropy is an important part of Phi Delta Theta’s mission. “We are thankful for any opportunity to give back to the campus community and reach out to the Portland community at large.”
Operation Nightwatch was established in downtown Portland in 1981. For 32 years, they have worked to make sure those that those who live on the streets have the essential items they need to survive. In addition to their downtown service, they also help serve the homeless in the St. Johns area. Next month they will be expanding to help the homeless in Vancouver.
Operation Nightwatch is not a homeless shelter; they focus on helping homeless people who can’t or won’t stay in homeless shelters. Through their hospitality centers, they provide food, clothing and toiletries to those living on the street. Gary Davis, executive director of Operation Nightwatch, says the organization serves 600 to 700 people per month throughout the year.
During the winter, the organization focuses on providing the items people need to stay warm and dry while sleeping on the streets.
“They avoid shelters for various reasons,” Davis said. “Some say they don’t feel safe there, some get their property stolen and some say the shelters are just too crowded and they can’t sleep with so much snoring.”
Without shelters, homeless individuals have no access to bathing or laundry facilities, so the personal care items and clean clothing offered by Operation Nightwatch is a big help for those living on the street. In the Northwest’s cold and wet winters, dry socks are more than a matter of comfort—they help prevent foot rot, a serious medical condition caused by constant exposure to cold, damp conditions.
In addition to providing the homeless with food and warm clothing, the organization also accepts donated books for their lending library. Mystery and action novels are the most popular among the largely male population, but romance novels and non-fiction books are always appreciated as well.
“We have a lot of readers out there,” Davis said. “If you’re living on the streets you don’t have TV or an iPod, so reading is one of the few ways you can entertain yourself.”
Henderson is hoping book donations to the PSU drive will help expand Operation Nightwatch’s currently sparse library collection.
“They have a library, but right now they don’t have any books,” she said. The drive is also accepting warm clothing items like blankets, socks, gloves, coats, rain gear and sweatshirts. “Socks and gloves are always in high demand, and blankets go out as soon as they come in, so there is always a need for blankets.”
Items can be new or used, Henderson said, “As long as they are clean and in good condition.”
If you would like to know more about Operation Nightwatch, visit their website at www.operationnightwatch.org.
