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Homeless adults line up in the rain outside a Portland shelter last December hoping for a dry, safe place to spend the night.

(Doug Begthel/The Oregonian/2012)

A Multnomah County nonprofit that helps homeless people find homes and jobs is in desperate need of blankets and winter gear to distribute to people sleeping on the icy streets.

Marc Jolin, executive director of

, said the group needs blankets, caps, sweaters and other items to hand out. JOIN staff and volunteers fan out across Portland nightly, looking for people who are sleeping outside. They encourage them to go to a shelter, but some people can't or won't, Jolin said. So, JOIN volunteers try to help them stay warm.

But the nonprofit has run short of warm weather supplies. They asked members of the public able to donate to take items to JOIN's homeless day center at

at the corner of Northeast 81st Avenue and Halsey Street between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For large or off-hour donations, call Jolin at 503-789-1953.

-- Lynne Terry