'Project Warmth' gets underway

When temperatures drop, it's hard to imagine going to bed without a blanket to keep you warm. <br><br>The News on 6 is the proud sponsor of a new program called Project Warmth, a citywide effort to

Tuesday, January 6th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

When temperatures drop, it's hard to imagine going to bed without a blanket to keep you warm.

The News on 6 is the proud sponsor of a new program called Project Warmth, a citywide effort to keep the homeless warm this winter.

And as News on 6 reporter Patrina Adger tells us, it all started with a business owner's New Year's resolution.

"Well, I decided in 2003, I wanted to do do something in 2004 for the company to get involved in the community and to give back." Jim Light is the owner of La Mode Quality Cleaners.

He's says he's all too familiar with Tulsa's frigid winters. And for those who are homeless, it can be a matter of life or death and Light wanted to do his part to help. "There's been these drives and no one had done blankets. We thought it would be great thing to do, clean and move through."

The News on 6 has teamed up with La Mode Cleaners, Western Sun and Volunteers of America for the first year of Project Warmth, a city-wide effort to keep the homeless warm this winter.

From now until now until January 31st, you can drop off a gently used blanket or comforter to any one of Tulsa's Western Sun or LA Mode Cleaners locations.

"Blankets, bedspreads, comforters, quilts, afghans,. We'll take whatever you bring by and we'll clean it." Kathy Clarke says she couldn't imagine not having a warm blanket on a cold night. "We like to do what we can, so we dug around for blankets and brought 'em in"

"We think there's a tremendous need for this program." Volunteers of America CEO John Self: "Not only blankets for adults but children's blankets because there's a lot of homeless families in the Tulsa area."

Many of the items will go to the residents of the John 3:16 Mission and the Day Center. The rest will go to other Tulsa residents who need them.

Clarke: "We'll probably go back through the closet again and see what else we have."

Through January 31st, you can take your gently used blanket, quilt, afghan, or comforter to one of the 11 area LaMode Cleaners or any of the five area Western Sun Federal Credit Unions.

LaMode will clean the items and give them to Volunteers of America to distribute to those in need.