Spread the Warmth with donation of warm winter clothing

As temperatures drop this winter, CBS Colorado is partnering with the Denver Rescue Mission to Spread the Warmth. The Mission's Ministry Outreach Center is in desperate need of warm winter clothing, including coats, hats, scarves, gloves, thermal underwear, blankets, and socks.

"A lot of the people have just what they're wearing so we need to give them coats and scarves and hats and stuff like that," said Harold Benjamin, Receiving & Distribution Supervisor at the Denver Rescue Mission.

Frostbite can happen during exposure to temperatures below 31 degrees Fahrenheit. The early symptoms include throbbing or aching in the extremities and experiencing a pins and needles sensation. Long exposure to cold can cause tissue death and could require amputation.

"Especially if you're outside, you need warm socks, sometimes double paired because there's a lot of cases of frostbite, and we don't want that to happen to anybody," Benjamin explained.

The Denver Rescue Mission serves people of all ages, so it needs donations in all sizes. The donations are distributed to each of the Rescue Mission facilities including the Lawrence Street shelter, 48th Avenue Center, The Crossing, and the Community Store.

"Families come in with 3 or 4 kids and they need socks too. I know, when I was a kid, I would wear my Dad's socks, and they don't fit as well as they should," Benjamin told CBS News Colorado.

The Community Store is stocked with donations of new and gently used clothing for all ages, as well as shoes and personal hygiene products. The Community Store is open to the general public. People can shop the racks once a month and everything is free.

LINK: Spread the Warmth

Spread the Warmth is a collection initiative designed to help those who need it the most during the winter months. The Rescue Mission can also use money donations to pay for increased need for food and shelter among those experiencing homelessness.