Joshua's Jackets for the homeless

Hi, I am fundraising this fall/winter to buy coats for the homeless in Albuquerque, NM, in my son’s honor. My son, Joshua, passed away in 2019 during his battle with alcoholism and homelessness. He was a proud Marine who did two combat tours in Iraq. Like many veterans, he came home with PTSD, emotional trauma, and physical impairments. In his honor, I created “Joshua’s Jackets" and plan to donate winter coats to the Albuquerque NM Veterans Health Care program, the Good Shepherd Center https://www.gscnm.org/, and Steelbridge https://www.mysteelbridge.org/.

How it started: Last year, I was working on my Christmas list and was upset because Joshua's name wasn't on the list. That night, Joshua visited me in a dream and told me, "Mom, just because I'm gone doesn't mean I don't want Christmas presents! I want a heavy winter coat." After I woke up, I laughed because that's something he would certainly say to me. I started thinking about his request for a winter coat and concluded that he wanted me to buy a winter coat for someone in need.

I reached out to my family, and we decided to pool our money and buy several winter coats to donate. In the end, we donated ten new winter coats to the Good Shepherd Center, a men's homeless shelter in Albuquerque specializing in substance abuse recovery. They were very appreciative and I am sure the coats were put to good use.

I would appreciate your consideration of donating a few dollars towards our fundraiser. Please feel free to pass along this information regarding Joshua’s Jackets to anyone you think might want to donate or anyone who may need assistance with a winter coat.

Thank you!