Blanket gift to charities working with homeless from Castle Hill RSL

Winter will be a little warmer thanks to the donation of 1100 new blankets from Castle Hill RSL to five frontline charities working with the homeless.

Castle Hill RSL donated 1100 blankets to five charities working with the homeless: (LtoR) Jenny Fuda (Parramatta Mission). Linda Strickland (Hawkesbury's Helping Hands) Rod O' Donnell (St John Ambulance) Chris Cleary (StreetMed Inc), Rick Cumming (Castle Hill RSL) and Major Colin Young (Salvation Army)

Winter will be a little warmer thanks to the donation of 1100 new blankets from Castle Hill RSL to five frontline charities working with the homeless.

Members of the five charities, StreetMed, The Thomas Kelly Foundation’s Take Kare program, Salvation Army, Parramatta Mission and Hawkesbury Helping Hands, were presented with the blankets on Monday.

Major Colin Young from The Salvation Army said: “This donation has come at time when there is great need in our community ... this donation will help us bring hope to those who need it most.”

Jenny Fuda from Parramatta Mission said: “The gift of a blanket can be twofold for someone who is struggling with homelessness or crisis. It not only serves to keep them warm, it says to them that they are seen and cared for by others in the community.”

Nate Brown from the Take Kare Program said: “Donations like this... mean we can continue to help more young people get home safely.”

A spokeswoman from Hawkesbury Helping Hands said: “The blankets will go a long way in helping people of all ages in our community keep warmer this winter.“

Castle Hill RSL Group president Warren Glenny said: “As a community we need to work together to reach out and make a difference.”