Meet Jaden, an eighth-grader at Sylvester Middle School in Burien, WA, who’s making a huge impact on his community. His story began five years ago when he began praying at night, worried about those living outside during the cold winter months. The thought weighed so heavily on his heart that he knew he had to take action.
With his parents’ support, he started a Facebook page and an email account to collect blankets for those in need. But then, the pandemic hit, and everything came to a pause. Though he had only collected a few blankets that first year, Jaden never lost sight of his mission.
Fast forward to just last week when Jaden decided it was time to restart his project. He dusted off his old Facebook account, reconnected with his followers, and began posting about his blanket drive once again. In just ONE week, his social media network helped him collect 120 blankets!!
“He was counting them and organizing them in our kitchen, and I got overwhelmed with pride at how excited he was as he was counting them. He had more energy for that than he did on Christmas morning!”
– Jaden’s mom, Melissa
Jaden is a busy teenager who juggles the demands of school and playing travel baseball, AAU basketball, soccer, and football. Seeing a young person carve out time from their busy schedule to give back is a reminder for all of us to slow down and remember what truly matters this holiday season.
When the weather gets really cold, our outreach teams are always looking for things that can help people stay warm while they sleep outside. Many people don’t realize that even temperatures above 50°F can be dangerous, especially when it’s wet and windy. Hypothermia is a serious risk for those without adequate shelter.
Blankets are especially important and always needed. Carrying a blanket around all day can be challenging, particularly during sweeps when people might lose items they cannot take with them.
When it’s truly cold, having a blanket can make all the difference in getting through the night safely. Your support helps us ensure everyone has what they need to stay warm!
To donate blankets, coats, or other essential items to DESC, contact the Community Resource team at Donations@desc.org.
And follow Jaden and support his work to provide blankets to our neighbors experiencing homelessness during these cold winter months on his Facebook page, @jadensblanketblessings.