Chicago's My Block My Hood My City donates warm clothes for migrants
CHICAGO (CBS) -- One Chicago organization Is on a mission to outfit the city's new migrants in warm winter clothes.
They made the first of many drop-offs today in Pilsen with CBS 2's Sara Machi.
"Medium joggers. Medium."
On a corner across from a Pilsen migrant shelter, Stephen Gilbert lines up the boxes that hold a warm welcome. Three hundred pairs of matching new hoodies and sweatshirts for the migrants experiencing their first winter.
Some walking up in sandals.
A donation from the group My Block My Hood My City.
But within minutes of opening the first box, the opportunity for clean clothes coupled with a language barrier and the lines collapse into circles around each box.
It's a fast, frenzied giveaway that takes Gilbert by surprise.
"That's just showing the need for something," Gilbert said.
The goal is to give out 15,000 sets of hoodies and sweatpants. Right now, they have about 1,000 funded and printed.
"We barely scratched the surface. There are little babies out here six months old or five months old. It's cold. We can't even help them today. It puts it all in perspective," said Jahmal Cole, Founder and CEO of My Block My Hood My City.
This is the first of My Block My Hood My City's new initiative to give out these sweatshirts, which sport the Venezuelan flag and colors, a nod to the home country of many new arrivals.
"No matter what color, gender or religion, opinion, or ethnicity you are, you're a Chicagoan," Cole said.
In just 10 minutes, the bins are empty. Hundreds of pieces of clothes packed up or put on. Some reactions require no translation.
If you're interested in helping My Block My Hood My City is taking donations on its website.