Project Stay Warm

Hi everyone!

I could not transfer the original post from my FB as it was in photo from,but here's the gist of it.Truly remarkable story of people coming together to help those in need.It's been COLD at night!A small group of friends were so moved by the tragic death of Luis Gomez-Diaz that they decided something must be done.They contacted Big 5 and made a commitment to buy a quantity of sleeping bags if Big 5 would reduce the price.
Can you help them help those in need of a warm sleeping bag?
A heartfelt thank you to Timothy Nonn and his friends for making this possible!

A copy of the the original post can be viewed on my FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/patricia.a.wilson.39

I had the pleasure of speaking withTim Nonn by phone and he related the remarkable story of a small group of friends who conceived the idea and turned it into a reality!
I also spoke with COTS who confirmed their participation in this wonderful project.

UPDATE from Sonya Tafejian today:

"We now have 28 bags paid for and Big 5 has 38 bags available. Ten more pledges please! $16 will help keep a homeless person warm this winter. Email me for the address. [email protected]"

Your donation will help those turned away from shelters to have a warm nights rest during this coldest of winters!

With Gratitude,
Pat Wilson

This was posted by COTS tonight:

"Some very kind supporters have been collecting sleeping bags with the desire to help out. Actually, we have emergency space for people in cold and wet weather, and we prefer to shelter them where they can be safe, warm and dry, with access to food & programs, instead of giving out sleeping bags."

Unbelievable...Even more so when you hear the rest...I thought they had come up with the idea themselves and had asked COTS to distribute the bags.They're intention was to give these bags out to those who were turned away from COTS shelter..And they were assured that this would be the case.
I started writing Cots(who later turned out to be John Records) and would stop to message a young man from the group to ask him questions.
As it turns out,they were responding to a plea FROM COTS for sleeping bags!Remembering what they were told in terms of who would be recieving the bags,I thought there was some miscommunication within the org,and set about writing COTS to tell them to get their house in order and apologize to the young people whom they made to appear as misguided idiots that COTS had no association with.

When I asked the young man who they were working with,he said John Records!
Long story.But spent hours writing back and forth with John and you won't believe what he has to say.Too tired tonight to relate all.I will,however,do so tomorrow.In the meantime,thank you all who read my post and/or donated!Please be assured that these bags will go to those they were intended for!

Pat

The United Methodist Church in Sebastopol has been giving out sleeping bags at the church door, free, for the last 10 plus years, in case you know of someone in need.

Judith Stone

My apologies for not getting back to you sooner.Too lengthy to relate all the details right now,but suggest you look at comment posted by COTS site under their own post on 1/26 in response to my private messages to John.If you read it carefully,he still is not committing those bags to those he turns away(but looks as if he is!)
In the meantime,Timothy is going out to the encampments himself and wants to ask a favor.
They are(deservedly so) privately questioning whether the bags already donated will be used as intended.They don't want to turn this into a public battle with John as COTS does have many wonderful programs that do help the homeless.They are asking if several individuals would be willing to call John Records (765-6530) to see,if in fact,he is intends to honor his commitment to the distribute bags as he claimed he would.The quest is direct:Do you intend to provide the sleeping from the recent drive to go only to those turned away from COTS?
If he answers "yes" to to the callers,he will then be accountable!

Grateful to anyone who's willing to call,as well as all that have already supported and helped!

With gratitude,

Pat