Care Alliance Health Center in Cleveland starting winter sock drive for homeless

CLEVELAND - Olivia Hayworth stopped into the Care Alliance Health Care Center with her young son at 1530 East St. Clair Ave. to get tests done for a job. Unable to afford most health care costs, Care Alliance offered Hayworth the help she needed on Wednesday, free.

Donating to a sock drive at the clinic is something she sees as possibly reaping personal rewards, as well.

"I think it's very important to give for the season. What you do unto others really comes back to seeing how many blessings you can get back," said Hayworth.

Care Alliance's program manager of Outreach Services, Donna Kelly, sees the need close up of those in the homeless world. She visits them under bridges, in tents and abandoned buildings, as well as in local shelters.

Kelly said the need for warm socks, blankets, gloves, coats and hats are sometimes a matter of life or death each year for her patients.

"The sheltered homeless are in emergency shelters, and the unsheltered are in tents and abandoned buildings, said Kelly.

"Our goal at Outreach is to keep people warm and keep them healthy through the wintertime, and the sock drive that we're talking about, and also the donations of blankets and coats, are important for several reasons. They're important because they keep people warm, but they're also important because they keep people healthy, socks especially."

Care Alliance has sites on the east side and west side of Cleveland for sock donations and/or health services for qualified low income people.

For information go to these links:

carealliance.org

facebook.com/carealliance

twitter.com/carealliance

Care Alliance can also be reached by phone at:

Administrative Offices 216-781-6228

St.Clair Clinic 216-781-6724

Carl B. Stokes Clinic 216-923-5000

Riverside Clinic 216-619-5571