GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Especially this time of year, dressing for the weather is critical. Unfortunately, not everyone has a closet full of winter gear. There’s a group of volunteers working to change that for people in need across West Michigan.
John Teeples is a retired attorney who told 13 ON YOUR SIDE, “I’ve worked downtown for 30 years. I’m around the homeless all the time. So, I knew the need.”
He said he’s seen first-hand the impacts of homelessness.
“You could see over the years that the need of the homeless was getting – there was more and more homeless on the streets, especially women and children. You could just tell every day driving to work that the numbers hanging out in front of the soup kitchens were getting larger,” said Teeples.
Marge Gavigan is a coordinator for the Saint Andrews Cathedral Outreach Center where she said, “An individual can get a blanket once a year. They can get a pair of boots once a winter.”
The Outreach Center is open for a couple hours every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 9:30 a.m.
Gavigan also said they provide items that have been donated like, “clothing, shoes, toiletries, bedding, towels. The kinds of things that people need that if you don’t have a lot of money, you may not be able to have,” and Gavigan adds that there is “absolutely no fee. Everything is free.”
A few years ago, Gavigan shared with Teeples that it can be challenging to provide winter wear. Teeples got to work, reaching out to his connections.
Some might say, as fate would have it, he found an old family friend who happens to distribute donations to various thrift stores.
“He said, ‘John, we have no source, secondary source to send our winter coats and boots,'” Teeples recalled of the conversation he had with that friend, who has asked to remain anonymous.
It was the perfect match.
“Suddenly, I had a huge supply, potentially, that I could help so many. So, I just got on the phone and started calling every homeless center, school, church, community center that I could find,” said Teeples.
They’ve been in operation now the last four winters. That is, a group of about 30 volunteers, many of them retired seniors. Teeples said the work would not be possible without them, including volunteers like Larry Whitfield.
Teeples explained that, “We are not organized. We are not a nonprofit. I haven’t formed a nonprofit organization. We’re just ‘middle man’ moving coats. We have over 60, 65 venues we’ve been providing well over 4,000 coats and boots that have been moved in and out, just this year.”
Still, for some, the need remains.
“I have a guy who comes in every now and then and even in the winter is generally wearing a pair of flip flops. He needs a pair of size 16 shoes. We don’t generally get size 16 shoes,” said Gavin.
She believes that, “Nobody deserves to be homeless and, to me, it’s a matter of justice. We all deserve what is important to have in order to live a life.”
When this effort first started, Teeples said he was just planning to help out Gavigan and the Outreach Center. Four winters later they’re serving four counties in West Michigan through homeless shelters, schools, churches and many other programs.
If you need help, or would like to donate or volunteer, email Teeples.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.