Not everyone has a home for the holidays

​The holiday season is here, but this time of year can be especially difficult if you don't have a place to call home. Once again, thousands of our neighbors in San Francisco will struggle to survive winter on the streets. ​A 2019 survey noted that nearly 10,000 individuals in the city were experiencing homeless, including more than 1,100 unaccompanied children and youth. Despite the city spending millions of dollars on services and resources to address the issue of homelessness, ​the situation is still dire, and there is no easy, quick-fix solution. For those living on the streets and in temporary shelters, just getting through the day can be a challenge.

As the organizers of A Close-Knit Community, we know that one person alone can't solve the problem of homelessness, but we as individuals can come together and try to make things a little bit better for those who are struggling. Like any grass-roots organization, we are looking to our friends and neighbors to assist us in this endeavor as we take on this challenge. Since 2014, we have sponsored this neighborhood holiday clothing drive to benefit the patrons of First Friendship Shelter (at Oak Street and Steiner). And we've seen just how close-knit the Lower Haight community is—over the past five years, more than 1,000 items of cold-weather clothing have been donated to more than 160 children and young adults at the shelter.

According to Shelter Director Patricia Doyle, more than 35 children ranging in ages from two-months to twelve-years-old will be staying at the shelter this winter. To help make their holidays a bit brighter (and warmer), we are again asking neighbors to donate the following items for these kids:
  • Jackets and coats
  • Warm hats and scarves
  • Gloves and mittens
  • Diapers
  • School supplies
  • ​Boots and socks
These items will be wrapped and given as gifts to the kids on Christmas Eve, so we ask that all donated items be new/unused. The shelter houses children of all ages—boys and girls, from toddlers to teens—so all sizes and styles are welcome. Donations can be made through December 22 at drop-off bins located at partnering Lower Haight merchants (click here for a list and map).

A new coat and gloves will not remedy the problem of homelessness, but such donations address a basic need for many of our neighbors without a permanent home. Donating something as simple as a new jacket may seem trivial, but for a child without a home for the holidays, it is a literal and figurative gift of warmth for the winter.

Thank you for visiting our website, and for being part of our close-knit community.

For more information, click below to learn more about... We love to meet new neighbors! Contact us with any questions or comments at closeknitters@gmail.com. ​