10,000 blankets for homeless

Shepherd’s Heart Ministry teamed up with several East Texas law enforcement agencies, including sheriff’s offices in Gregg and Upshur counties, to give out 10,000 blankets to people in need.

Through the program, police officers distributed the blankets to those that they met in the field, such as families without heating in their homes or people seeking help from homeless shelters.

“Several East Texas law enforcement agencies, including sheriff’s offices in Gregg and Upshur counties, have teamed up to give out 10,000 blankets to people and shelters in need.”

“Operation Blue Shield, was started after Lindale minister James Dill requested blankets from Operation Compassion in Cleveland,Tennessee. ‘This ministry was awesome, offering to send 10,000 blankets at no cost to us! This act of kindness is very uncommon in the day we live’ said Dill during a news conference this past week, announcing the initiative to take care of the homeless, the needy and others who are hurting.”

“Dill, along with Smith County Sheriff Larry R. Smith, Tyler Police Chief Jimmy Toler, Gregg County Sheriff Maxey Cerliano, Upshur County Sheriff Larry Webb and Wood County Sheriff Tom Castleoo, announced the blanket program Friday.”

“Smith said Dill came to him with the idea, and he knew that there was a need for blankets in Smith County and the surrounding counties. ‘Operation Blue Shield of Compassion will encompass Tyler and Smith County, as well as all of the directly adjacent counties’ Smith said.”

“Through the program, police officers will carry blankets in their cars while out in the community. Blankets will be distributed to people who officers meet in the field, such as families without heating in their homes or people seeking help from homeless shelters. The blanket initiative is intended to mirror a similar program for teddy bears, in which officers are able to provide toys to children in need of comfort.

‘What a better place to be able to use them to carry them in our patrol vehicles?’ Smith said. ‘We’re going to get them out to the rescue missions, and obviously we’re going to share with every contiguous county.'”

“As part of the program, 800 blankets were delivered to Gregg and Upshur counties this past week, Smith said. Many of those blankets have been given to the Hiway 80 Rescue Mission and an Upshur County women’s group, Smith said.

Smith said the blankets would be stored in a warehouse and would be delivered to adjacent sheriff’s offices as needed. The program is limited in location because not every county is able to store its own blankets, and so Smith County will be storing most of them, Smith said.

Dill said the program is a great way to reach those in need. He also praised the police agencies for agreeing to help distribute blankets, saying it is just one of the many ways officers work each day to help their community.

‘This is a good indicator of the kind of people we have in the police and sheriff’s departments today,’ Dill said.

Smith expects the program to be a success.

‘We hope that we have to order another 10,000 (blankets),’ Smith said. ‘If that happens, it’s because we found a need for the ones we have, and we’re just keeping it going.'”

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