'The blanket gives them a chance to maybe survive the night:' Union Gospel Mission running out of blankets for homeless



SEATTLE -- With the freezing temperatures, Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission is running out of blankets to give to those living on the streets. The mission’s search and rescue teams hand out the wool rescue blankets to the homeless, but there is now a shortage.

"People might think that a blanket means nothing to us, but it actually means a lot,” said Richard McAdams, who works for the Union Gospel Mission. “It means that a person is getting warmth and someone took time out of their lives to show that they are getting the things they need."

McAdams leads the teams of volunteers and employees who hand out the blankets each night. They also give people warm drinks and food.

In the past couple of weeks, donations of money and blankets have helped. Mission spokesperson Torie Rynning said the mission is about half way to reaching the 1,600 blankets needed.

However, the shelves at the warehouse are still empty. Coordinator Linda Lynch said the mission hopes to get more wool blankets in the next couple of weeks when funding is available, but this is the time of the year when they are needed the most.

"The blanket gives them a chance to maybe survive the night. Without the blanket, some people won't be alive the next morning especially in this cold weather," said Lynch.

The mission accepts blanket donations. It has also setup up an Amazon Wish List for those interested in helping.