Winter weather warrants warmer clothing

By Matt Bove and Gabrielle Mediak

Bengal News West Reporters

Linda Nguyen hangs donated coats at New to You

         The Buffalo area is known for its fluctuating weather and blustery winters. Sometimes, the temperature may drop 40   degrees in one day.  This makes life for those who live on the streets harder to deal with.

But help is on the way. West Side organizations and businesses are doing their best to ensure that people living on the street can be as warm as possible. Along with frigid temperatures comes a need for warm winter clothes.  

            New to You is a thrift store located at 289 Grant St. in the heart of the West Side. It  always accepts new donations from clothing to furniture, giving it   the nickname of “The Everything Store.”  But when the seasons change and the temperatures drop, its  main focus is to keep the community warm at an affordable price. 

            “We try to maintain a store where people can buy household goods and clothing for a discounted price,” Jasmine Milton, store manager of New to You said. 

 According to Milton, the shop negotiates   prices with customers and arrange pick-ups for receiving donations. As winter approaches, the need for donations grows. New To You has always kept up with the demand. By having an abundance of winter wear, people can usually find what they need. 

         “A lot of times there are other organizations specifically holding events for winter items,” Milton said. “They bring the excess over here. We have a lot of coats, sweaters and winter things.”

Although the store gets a lot donated, with people coming in everyday, it is   always in need of contributions. Linda Nguyen, an employee from New To You, said that there is a specific need for toddler winter jackets. People look for them everyday. 

“Since the weather has changed people come in all the time looking for winter stuff,” Nguyen said. “Right when it changes to fall people come in an find their coats, winter gear hats, scarves and all that.” 

But for those who can’t afford the used clothing at New To You, there is always the option to visit Friends of Night People, located at 394 Hudson St. Its main objective is to provide homeless, poor and destitute individuals food, clothing, medical care and counseling. Friends of Night People’s clothing cupboard is a place for those in need to get the articles of clothing necessary to make their nights as warm as possible.

“Everything is free, no questions asked,” Joseph Heary,  executive director of Friends of Night People, said. “People are hit with unexpected bills and expenses and we try to help them stretch their budget as much as possible.”

Blankets are another big item at Friends of Night People because of their functionality and versatility.

 “We’re in need of anything that will keep people warm when they’re outside,” Heary said. “When you’re walking and that’s your only mode of transportation, you need gloves and a hat, and forget how easy it is to misplace them when you need it 24 hours religiously.”

For those who spend almost all of their day outside, the clothes on their back could be the most important things that get them through the night.

“A normal person gets in and out of their car or their house and aren’t outside very long,” Heary said. “When you’re moving from place to place sometimes, it’s easy to forget that one item.”

Michele Gardner, a volunteer at Friends of Night People, stressed the importance for people to come out and donate for those in need.

“You see a lot of people in need that you would never expect to see,” Gardner said.  “I’ve seen people who look just like you and me, and are just simply down on their luck.”