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Daphne Cortese-Lambert’s Facebook post Tuesday was simple — Del Norte Mission Possible will accept any clean blanket to donate to a person in need.

Noting that the cold weather snuck up on many in the unhoused community, Cortese-Lambert is also seeking gloves, beanies and warm clothes, especially men’s clothing.

“When we live here in Crescent City, you know how the weather is so bipolar, you don’t think about the cold until it’s on you,” she told the Wild Rivers Outpost. “The people we serve are like that too. They’re working really hard to survive every single day. Weather like this hits and they aren’t prepared for it.”

On Outreach Thursdays, Del Norte Mission Possible’s blue bus brings case management and supportive services to an average of about 130 people each week, Cortese-Lambert said. On Tuesdays, the organization sees roughly 60 people, bringing them hand warmers, tarps, coats and tea candles to keep warm she works with warm, she said.

A donor enabled the organization to provide gas cards so those living in trailers have the ability to heat their home with propane, Cortese-Lambert said. She’s also starting a backpack program — she’ll provide the backpack and a list of items people may need and will ask donors to fill them up.

But they’re out of blankets, Cortese-Lambert said.

“Those blankets, they can truly save people’s lives,” she said. “There are people that are seniors out there in this weather. There are families that are out there in this weather.”

About 5-10 percent of the people Del Norte Mission Possible serves have chosen to live the unsheltered lifestyle, Cortese-Lambert said. The rest would like to get back on their feet, she said.

Cortese-Lambert founded Del Norte Mission Possible in 2019. The new non-profit organization was working to upgrade the Our Daily Bread building at 1135 Harrold Street with the goal of turning it into an emergency shelter.

In June, Del Norte Mission Possible entered into an agreement with the county Department of Health and Human Services to receive about $200,806 in Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program grant dollars. This put the organization one step toward opening a shelter, though on Thursday, Cortese-Lambert said it was trying to raise another $250,000 to continue to improve the Our Daily Bread building.

“I believe we’re looking at bids right now for the roof and for the sprinklers,” she said. “We’re looking at that, but it’s always challenging to start a project and then look for funding when you’re in the middle of it.”

Cortese-Lambert said the Del Norte Mission Possible Board of Directors will meet in the next week or two to figure out if there’s a way to move that project along.

In the meantime, Del Norte Mission Possible has partnered with Open Door Community Health Center to bring medical services every other Sunday to Park City Superette at the corner of Elk Valley and Howland Hill roads, Cortese-Lambert said.

Del Norte Mission Possible also receives funding through FEMA to provide an emergency recuperation assistance program. This gives people who are homeless who have been released from the hospital a clean environment to recover in, Cortese-Lambert said.

“We give them five to seven days in a motel room, and while we have them, we do intensive case management,” she said. “A lot of these people don’t have MediCal, they don’t have Food Stamps, they’ve just fallen off the grid and it’s challenging for me to jump through hoops to get them everything they need.”

As of January 2022, 462 individuals in Del Norte County identified as homeless, according to the most recent Point-in-Time survey. Of those, 227 people reported sleeping in outdoor encampments, 108 reported sleeping in a vehicle, boat or RV and 69 reported finding shelter through an emergency shelter, transitional housing or permanent supportive housing program.

About 226 people reported being homeless for more than three years, and 254 reported living in Del Norte County for more than 10 years.

Blankets, clothing and other donations can be taken to Del Norte Mission Possible, 1100 H Street in Crescent City. People can also provide monetary contributions by clicking here.

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