HADLEY, MA – For the month of January, UMassFive College Federal Credit Union hosted a cold weather item drive to benefit the Amherst and Northampton Survival Centers and asked members and staff to donate winter clothing and other items that could help make someone’s winter a little warmer.
This year, UMassFive’s drive brought in over 140 items including coats, jackets, gloves, blankets, scarves and sweaters from its Hadley and Northampton Branches. The Hadley branch donated a total of 80 items. Sean Capaloff-Jones (pictured far right) delivered these items to the Amherst Survival Center’s new location at 138 Sunderland Road in Amherst. The Northampton branch collected 61 items and donated them to the Northampton Survival Center, located at265 Prospect Street in Northampton.
The Amherst and Northampton Survival Centers need cold weather clothing from November until April. Since moving, the Amherst Survival Center has seen an increase in use of the Free Store, so donations are more in need than ever before.
If you would like to donate directly, you can find out more by visiting their websites at http://www.amherstsurvival.org, and http://www.northamptonsurvival.org.