The school district’s teacher of the year hopes people will purchase and donate a new pillow on “Black Friday,” the nation’s busiest shopping day.
Paula Ferrara, who teaches physical education at the Bradley and Irving schools, is spearheading an effort to collect pillows for homeless shelters in the region.
Through donations of her fellow faculty and staff, along with area residents who learned about her effort through passed-along e‑mails, area shelters received more than 500 new pillows last year.
Donations are slower this year, said Ferrara, who had only about 45 pillows earlier this week.
While the number is low, Ferrara is confident her network — which includes Derby city employees and teachers from Ansonia schools — will pass the word along.
Ferrara has been collecting items for area shelters — clothes, food, beddings, even tents — for about five years.
The pillow drive started last year, after Ferrara saw how grateful a homeless family was to receive a pillow.
Ferrara heard about people using stacks of newspapers as pillows.
“I talked to shelters, and some people were sleeping on two-to-three newspapers in a plastic bag,” Ferrara said. “That was very disturbing to me, so I sent out an e‑mail saying that in addition to all the other things I was collecting, I wanted to start a pillow drive.”
“It was incomprehensible to me that people didn’t have pillows. It’s something that never occurred to me,” she said. “When people go into transitional housing (from a shelter) they take the pillows with them — or they don’t reuse pillows.”
Sarah Warfield, a development associate with Columbus House, Inc. in New Haven said Ferrara is a tireless volunteer — with a knack for getting the word out.
Columbus House operates several emergency homeless shelters in New Haven.
“On any given night, we’re servicing 300 people in all our difference facilities,” Warfield said. “We’re constantly going through pillows. It is a huge need.”
Columbus House is so pleased with Ferrara’s efforts the organization is honoring her Dec. 3 with its John S. Martinez Community Service Award. The award is named after the late state legislator.
Anyone who wants to purchase a new pillow (Wal-Mart is selling them for $2.50, Ferrara reported) can drop it off for Ferrara at the Bradley or Irving schools in Derby.
In addition, Derby Town Clerk Laura Wabno is collecting pillows for Ferrara at Derby City Hall.
Maria’s Hair Gallery at 4 Division St. in Derby is also a drop-off point.
For more information on how to help, e‑mail Ferrara at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
