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Providing warmth for homeless
By Shelley Doggétt, Staff Writer
Thousands of blankets are being collected to donate to the homeless of Tarrant County. Cyndi Bunch, of Keller, heads Phillip’s Wish, a program developed in response to her 10-year-old son’s question about whether his father and others like him are warm each winter.
Several years ago Phillip’s father was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and began leaving the family’s home to wander the streets.
Bunch and her son would drive around looking for him, and in the process, they encountered hundreds of homeless people suffering from mental disorders and substance abuse.
Since 2005, Bunch and her son have visited homeless shelters in Tarrant County to distribute blankets and necessities to people inside and those sitting and sleeping in lines outside the shelter.
Bunch began collecting photos of the people she met on the streets to remind her of what she’s fighting for.
“They belong to somebody. Why shouldn’t their pictures be in someone’s home?” she said.
Her cause is to make the public aware of those unfortunate souls suffering from mental diseases that they have no control over, and to reach out to them she said.
Bunch writes letters to state representatives and even sends District Attorney Tim Curry a package of blankets every year, asking him to distribute them to those less fortunate.
“I’m not afraid of raising heck, and I have to keep fighting,” she said.
This year, Bunch is asking for donations of toiletries as well as blankets, but asks that no clothes be donated.
“These people don’t have closets; they can’t carry a bunch of hangers with clothes on them,” Bunch said. “They need things like toothpaste, brushes, feminine products and blankets for warmth.”
Socks, she says, are a different story. What may seem a mundane gift to some, is greatly needed by those that live on the streets.
Last year, Phillip’s Wish collected more than 16,000 blankets, and Bunch hopes to get at least 15,000 this year. So far, more than 3,000 blankets and 10,000 toiletries have been collected.
Members and businesses of the community continue to support the cause by not only donating large quantities of blankets and supplies, but also offering storage space, hanging signs and banners around town and hosting homeless awareness functions.
One such function will be Friday night at the Keller High School football field, as students spend the night outside from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. while collecting donations. Last year’s event collected about 500 blankets.
“The kids are wonderful and I think that this helps give them a different outlook on life,” Bunch said.
A rally will be held at 2 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Tom Thumb in Southlake, with speakers and a dedication to Bunch’s former co-worker James Reed who passed away recently.
Donations can be made at any Tarrant County Tom Thumb locations and several other businesses in Grapevine, Carrollton, Keller, Southlake, Arlington and Fort Worth.
For information, go to www.phillipswish.com.
Contact Shelley Doggétt at 972-628-4076 or sdoggett@acnpapers.com
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