Cold weather can be devastating for people. I'm not just talking about little kids who get hit by one too many snowballs, but rather people whose houses don't have great insulation, people whose cars don't work as well in the cold weather, or people who don't have stable housing.
For homeless people, or people in transitional housing, cold weather can actually be unsafe and dangerous, not just uncomfortable.
Fay Sibley, a young woman who lives in Colchester, Essex, England, always noticed that there were homeless people who spent time around the Colchester Library, so she decided to do something about it.
Fay, who works as a paramedic, knows how cold weather can affect everyone, especially homeless people, so she took a small step that made a huge difference.
Outside the library, Fay posted a sign that said, "Need a coat? Take one. Want to help? Leave one."
With the sign, Fay put out a clothing rack, hoping people would donate their old coats to people more needy.
Fay was surprised and happy to see the idea take off. Her coat exchange in Colchester has seen more than 40 coats pass through, but her idea has actually gone worldwide.
After Fay posted pictures on Facebook, people all over the world contacted her saying they were planning to make their own coat exchanges.
Fay told Daily Mail that she spoke with a couple, who were living in a tent, about the coat exchange, and they told her that "to them it makes all the difference."
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h/t Daily Mail
