By Mervyn Myers | Development Director
December was colder than normal. January was colder than normal. The first third of February was colder than normal. And Washington has 3.1 inches of snow to show for it.
We haven’t seen so much cold air and so little snow up to this point since the winter of 1985-86 (see the complete Washington Post article this is quoted from at the link attached to this report)
Temperatures have reached the low teens Fahrenheit, well below freezing, periodically for several days at a time and we have had sustained strong winds on a number of occasions reaching up to 50 mph. UPO’s Shelter Hotline has been kept busy helping the DC Homeless reach shelter during the numerous Hypothermia Alerts.
The results of Groundhog Day February 2, 2018 are in: According to legend, we're in for six more weeks of winter because Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. That's in spite of forecasts that predicted a cloudy, shadow-less morning (see the complete USA Today article this is quoted from at the link attached to this report)
Funded by the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness the UPO Shelter Hotline represents the entry point assisting homeless folks off the street, transporting them to Homeless Shelters and providing them with comfort items. There are more than 8,000 homeless people in Washington DC! Winter and summer over 40 dedicated UPO Shelter Hotline employees communicate with shelters to coordinate transportation services for recently displaced individuals and families. We are the sole provider of transportation services for the DC homeless population. Last year we provided 155,476 rides. Our vans are seen throughout DC distributing food, water, blankets, sleeping bags and other comfort items, funded by your donations, to the homeless. During peak seasonal temperatures Shelter Hotline drivers work 24 hours a day during the winter and summer months transporting individuals to shelters, cooling stations and feeding centers. We’re here to help and save lives.
Thank you, dear loyal friends, for your generous support of our Help UPO Help the DC Homeless project. We have now received 276 donations raising a total of $16,587 to-date! During the past 3 months we have received $1,100 from 26 new gifts and have retained our Superstar status on Global Giving! We appeal for your continued support to reach our project goal of $20,000 to provide much needed funding of comfort items for the remaining frigid weeks of winter and the searing summer months ahead. Please tell your friends and family about our work!
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