Have you ever?

Wondered what it must be like.Have you ever?

1To be cold with nowhere to go?Homelessness has increased 20% in Northwest Arkansas over the last 2 years.

Little Rock, Arkansas

To be hungry & not know where your next meal will come from?In the 2012 USDA annual report, AR ranked 1st in the category very low food security at 8.1%.AR ranked 2nd in the number of people facing food insecurity. According to the report, 19.7 %, or roughly one in five Arkansans, do not know where their next meal is coming from. Fayetteville, Arkansas

To sleep without walls around you or a roof over your head?In Conway, the last countfor homeless was 173 people in 2012, of those52 were in public schools. Yes, that means about 1/3 of Conways homeless arechildren. (This count is up from 144 in 2009, and 92 in 2007.)Conway, Arkansas

To be working, and still unable to afford a place to live?44% of the homeless are working and still cannot escape homelessness. Declining wages and underemployment are the leading reasons that homelessness is increasing at a rapid pace. Often many of the homeless are eligible for retirement, disability, or veteran benefits but have no address which limits their eligibility. Russellville, Arkansas

To know that this could be any one of us in three months.these are some reasons why most people are homeless..it is not a choice to live like this .

Job Loss Stolen IdentityMental illness Disability Veteran of war Addiction

Sudden onset of illness Senior Citizen Orphans turning 18 Severe car accident There is ONE small thing you can do that WILL make a difference to someone.A warm coat can help someone not only stay warm, it can also act as a soft place to rest or sleep on, a coat often times is the only form of shelter from the elements for those that are without a home. Often times coats act as a family blanket warming more than one person. ONE WARM COAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCEAn estimated 6,781,850 Americans experience homelessness on any given night

The need for warm coatsHealth experts report that even a 2-degree drop in body temperature results in reduced heart rate, loss of coordination, and confusion. Adults cannot work effectively and children find it difficult to learn. For most, a warm coat solves the problem. But, for the now nearly 15% of Americans living in poverty, a warm winter coat is a budget extra.Your donation WILL help someone stay warm

Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors GodProverbs 14:31

Bring your extra winter wear to church next Sunday! Coats Jackets Hoodies Rainboots Raincoats Kids Coats too! Hats Gloves ScarvesCoat drive ends October 27th!