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Missing the Coat
Homeless need warm out erwear
Doug Atwater works in the laundry room at the Day Center for the Homeless. T-Town Trolley and the Tulsa Oilers are teaming up for a one-day, citywide coat drive to benefit the homeless population. JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World
By JASON ASHLEY WRIGHT World Scene Writer
Published: 11/24/2009 2:19 AM
Last Modified: 11/24/2009 4:48 AM
Doug Atwater had not planned on ending up in Tulsa, but here he was.
A Greyhound bus brought him in July 2008 — no friends, no home, just $100 in his pocket.
He met a man at the bus station, though, who said, "'Brother, you can start over here,'" Atwater said, thinking back to his arrival in Oklahoma.
That summer, he visited the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless, a visit that changed his life.
"It's my family here in Tulsa," he said. "I loved this place, and they love me back."
Now, Atwater is the clothing room manager for the Tulsa Day Center, which is in need of coats for a fast-approaching winter. That's why T-Town Trolley and the Tulsa Oilers are teaming up for a one-day, citywide coat drive on Friday to benefit the homeless population.
The trolley will stop at four locations in Tulsa: 10 a.m. at McNellie's, 409 E. First St.; 1 p.m. at Leon's, 3301 S. Peoria Ave.; 3 p.m. at Camille's, 9637 S. Riverside Parkway in Jenks; and 5:30 p.m. downtown at BOK Center, during the Oilers game.
People who donate a coat will receive a free ticket to the hockey game.
"We can take as many coats as we can get," Atwater said. The weather hasn't been that bad yet, but it most likely will be soon enough.
This will be Tulsa Day Center's first coat drive of the year, said Hallie Green, development director at the center. With recently fluctuating temperatures, it's rather obvious that more coats are needed to stock Atwater's storage room.
Keep in mind, too, that homeless don't have places to store their belongings, Green said, so they usually aren't able to hang on to a coat from season to season.
The center sees about 400 people a day, so coats of all sizes are needed, she said. Anything that can be layered would be much appreciated — sweatshirts, sweaters, scarves, hats, gloves, anything to keep men, women and children warm. As men make up the majority of people at the center, men's coats are needed most.
The center also needs sheets, blankets and bath towels, which are washed daily.
Many people might not realize how important the center is to those who don't know when — or if — their next meals are coming.
Atwater, for instance, had never been in a situation before like the one he found himself upon arriving in Tulsa. He experienced firsthand what it was like to have no place to go, to depend on strangers for necessities to live — specifically, food and clothes.
"It's a blessing, this place here," Atwater said, adding he wished every city in the country had a place like Tulsa Day Center. "You can't even put a price on it, to serve my brothers and sisters. It's truly a wonderful feeling to me."
Holiday needs
Tulsa Day Center for
the Homeless, 415 W.
Archer St., needs your
help to spread holiday
cheer. Here are some
simple ways you can
do it:
Outdoor lights are always
a special treat. You
can decorate the center’s
courtyard with lights.
Come with craft supplies,
enough to make
25-30 ornaments, cards
or other decorations.
Be Santa Claus by treating
one of the center’s
housed clients — mostly
single adults, but some
families — to the holiday
they wouldn’t have otherwise.
You will receive a
wish list for each person
or family that has been
nominated by a case
manager.
Help collect items so
folks who wake up at
the center Dec. 25 will
have a special breakfast.
Needed: 150 each
of flavored oatmeal
packets, fruit cups or
fruit, muffins, milk,
sugar, sweetener, juice,
hot cocoa packets and
decaffeinated coffee.
Let there be light — and
water, electricity and
staff to serve our clients
all year long. That said,
monetary gifts are much
appreciated. Or donate
in honor of friends and
family this holiday with
a donation in their name
and a holiday card you
sent out acknowledging
your gift.
For more on how
you can help, contact
Debra Dester at either
583-5588 or ddester@tulsadaycenter.org.
What: T-Town Trolley and Tulsa
Oilers collecting coats around
town for homeless
When and where: 10 a.m.
McNellie’s, 409 E. First St.;
1 p.m., Leon’s, 3301 S. Peoria
Ave.; 3 p.m., Camille’s, 9637 S.
Riverside Parkway, Jenks; 5:30
p.m., BOK Center, downtown
For more, call Tulsa Day Center
for the Homeless, 583-5588.
You can also visit tulsaworld.com/daycenter.
Jason Ashley Wright 581-8483
jason.wright@tulsaworld.com
By JASON ASHLEY WRIGHT World Scene Writer
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