Every winter, Mission for the Homeless (MFTH) expands its daily outreach to protect people living outdoors across Oakland, Hayward, San Leandro and Fremont from exposure and cold-related illness.

Our Winter Outreach program distributes critical survival supplies directly to encampments, roadside communities and individuals sleeping unsheltered. Volunteers deliver items seven days a week throughout the cold and rainy months.

Funds raised through this campaign will cover:

• 300 thermal blankets and 150 cold-weather sleeping bags

• 200 waterproof tents and 400 pairs of thick socks

MFTH is a volunteer-led nonprofit that has operated continuously since 2013. We rely on community donations to meet urgent needs. Our team includes four full time volunteers who have dedicated their lives to this work. This fundraiser ensures that outreach continues safely and consistently through winter. Temperatures in the East Bay often drop into the 30s, and hypothermia can occur even above freezing for people without shelter.

Vitally, we purchase survival supplies that are not typically donated in clothing drives and distribute them directly to unhoused people we work with.

Our goal is to raise $15,000 before December 15 to fully stock the Winter Outreach inventory and cover transportation costs through February 2026. Mission for the Homeless exists for one purpose: to meet people where they are, without judgment and make sure no one is left outside without warmth, food or care.

To learn more about us, read about our Friends' Stories here, or watch the following piece KPIX-TV CBS Bay Area did about our work: