With winter approaching and cold weather soon to be a daily event, organizations here in Seal Beach are stocking up on blankets to help a homeless shelter in Santa Ana.
Organized by Chad Berlinghieri, artistic director of Cathedral Productions and cantor at Saint Anne’s Catholic Church here in Seal Beach, the groups are set to deliver several thousand blankets to Isaiah House in Santa Ana. The shelter goes through thousands of blankets each year.
Berlinghieri said that through winter of 2018-2019 with the support of partners (Seal Beach Knights of Columbus, Downey Rotary, Risher Mortuary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sisters of St. Clare, St. Pius Matthias, St. Columban’s, Coast to Coast, TLC, Tamar Ministries, and Catholic Worker Isaiah House) CP has shipped and distributed over 1,700 Isaiah House Blankets to the homeless of Southern California at a cost of nearly $12,000. Berlinghieri also noted thanks to the city of Seal Beach for their participation in serving those that are in need.
“With our desire to promote the welfare of others, Cathedral Productions very much believes in giving back to the communities in which we work,” Berlinghieri said.
The group is currently raising funds to send a shipment of blankets to Isaiah House for Thanksgiving. Isaiah House is a shelter for homeless women lead by Leia Smith in the heart of Santa Ana.
“There is nothing glamorous about the facility,” Berlinghieri said. “They do not have a board of directors, golf tournament or a gala event. They have only poverty and the heart of a Catholic worker to serve those that can no longer help themselves.”
The blanket project started just last winter has been a huge blessing to Southern California Homeless, Berlinghieri said and he hopes that it may continue to grow into an annual solution for the community.
Each blanket is made of wool which stays warm even when wet and they are 5X7 so that each person only needs one. They come in bundles of thirty, are individually wrapped and are very similar to an army blanket. They are manufactured in North Carolina, the textile capitol of the US and are being sold to us at cost due to the worthiness of the cause.
Each bundle is $200 and the average shipment is $3,000 give or take varying shipping costs.
For more information or to donate please contact Chad at 714-883-7987 email to pactenor@yahoo.com or visit their website at CathedralProductions.org.
