WORCESTER—On a cold morning in downtown Worcester, long before the winter wind settles in, volunteers with Keeping Worcester Warm begin unloading bins of coats, gloves, boots and blankets behind City Hall. The ritual—equal parts logistics and love—has become one of the city’s most enduring grassroots traditions.
What began as a small effort to collect winter gear for unhoused residents has grown into a decade-long movement that blends service, recovery and community connection. The group’s annual winter event returns Saturday, Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Worcester Common, marking its 10th anniversary with nearly a hundred volunteers, local food donations and tables of resources for anyone in need.
“It’s surreal to see how far we’ve come,” founding member Erica Kniskern told The Worcester Guardian. “We’ve grown from a once-a-year event to a year-round resource. From stocking community fridges to raising money through sweatshirt sales, we’ve been able to help in ways I never imagined when we started.”
Kniskern said she first got involved because she knew firsthand how unprepared many people are for winter when they’re unhoused. “One minute it’s summer and the next you’re freezing outside with nothing but the clothes on your back,” she said. “I was newly in recovery at the time and didn’t have much else to offer except for my time—so that’s what I did.”
That spirit of giving—rooted in the recovery community—continues to shape the group’s mission today. Jacqueline Monteiro, another founding member, said the effort has always been about connection as much as clothing. “We were volunteers that first year,” Monteiro told The Worcester Guardian. “It built relationships, and it showed us that we could care for other people without expecting anything back. That was the biggest motivator for me—and what it did for my spirit was huge.”
Penelope Oliveira, also a founding member, remembers that first gathering vividly. “Ten years ago we attended an event in the community while early in recovery that sparked a passion in us to keep it going,” Oliveira told The Worcester Guardian. “The first event was behind City Hall with hand-gathered donations and help from a few volunteers, items laid out on the ground and benches while those in need received what was available. This year we have dozens of volunteers, Amazon wish lists, sponsors, and organizations working with us in a mutual-aid fashion to put on our biggest event yet—back at the birthplace of all of it, Worcester City Hall.”
When the pandemic forced a pause on large gatherings, Keeping Worcester Warm didn’t stop—it adapted. The group began assembling “blessing bags:” backpacks filled with essentials like toiletries, hats and hand warmers. Monteiro said the pivot “showed we could persevere and adapt. Since then, we’ve served thousands of people and supported up to ten other nonprofits at a time.”
This year’s anniversary event is shaping up to be their largest yet. Volunteers set up tables with winter wear sorted by size and gender, transforming the Common into a temporary pop-up store where everything is free.
“The big event starts months before the actual day,” Oliveira said. “Hoodie sales, putting together wish lists, posting tirelessly online, setting out flyers and boxes for donations, coordinating with other groups—it’s really something amazing to be a part of. We meet up early in the morning and the magic starts. Splitting into groups, unloading donations, assisting people to have their needs met—it’s truly awe-inspiring.”
Local partners—including Journey Community Church, Cruz Contracting and Miss Worcester Diner—donated food and clothing. The youth group 508 C.H.E.E.R.S. hands out sandwiches and R&R Jerk Chicken is ladling out hot soup.
“The people we focus on are unhoused adults—those in sober homes, shelters, or anyone who can’t afford warm clothing,” Kniskern said. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without the people of Worcester. Everything we have to give has been donated. It’s truly the community that makes this possible.”
For Oliveira, the milestone is more than longevity—it’s redemption. “Ten years sounds so big, double digits, a decade,” she said. “For me it’s really just that full-circle feeling. Being able to give back to a community with great need—the same community that brought me back to life when I was hopeless—and to still be thriving today? It’s really overwhelming gratitude.”
For Monteiro, the milestone marks both endurance and gratitude. “Personally, it’s a pivotal moment,” she said. “It solidifies how we’ve grown—personally, professionally and as a community. We just want to serve because we love. We love our city and we love the people in it.”
Her favorite memory from past years, she said, is a quiet one: “I remember one event when we all circled up to pray. The sun was shining down on us, and you could just feel the presence of something bigger—the spirit of service, of gratitude. That’s what this is really about.”
Oliveira said one moment that always captures the heart of Keeping Worcester Warm is the image used for the group’s cover photo. “People from all walks of life gathered together for a common goal,” she said. “To be able to look around throughout the event and see connections being made and needs being met right there in the heart of the city—it’s truly awe inspiring. God has been with us every step of the way.”
Keeping Worcester Warm has no paid staff, no office, and no corporate sponsor—just an open Facebook page, a few folding tables, and hundreds of neighbors who show up when called. The group’s motto, shared often in posts and community meetings, sums it up simply: “We’re trying to build a longer table, not a higher fence.”
For anyone who wants to help, Monteiro said there’s room for everyone. “You can donate, buy a hoodie, volunteer, or just share our posts,” she said. “Whatever capacity you have—it counts.”
The next volunteering opportunity is Friday, Oct. 24, from 5-8 p.m.
Have news, tips, or a story worth telling? Reach Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org—because good stories (and great scoops) deserve to be shared.
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