 Staff and volunteers at Lowell House and Recovery Cafe had an early morning on Saturday, October 24th. They spent two hours filling backpacks for their Project Winter Survival Pack event, where they'll be handing out 75 backpacks full of winter survival gear to people experiencing homelessness here in Lowell. It's just one of the ways with the winter approaching to give people, you know, things they need to prepare for the cold weather. We have stuff in there that'll keep them warm, you know, hats, gloves, scarves, blanket. According to staff at Lowell House, people experiencing homelessness carry all their possessions with them. Bags are sometimes lost or stolen, so having spare supplies in a backpack can really make a difference, especially in winter. This year's going to be real cold and they need to keep warm. They have blankets, but I mean, I don't know what they're going to do after. Lowell House staff said the homeless population in Lowell has almost tripled since COVID started, but they also said shelters are running at 50% capacity and can't accommodate everyone. We're a lot of relapses during the shutdown, a lot of suicide during the shutdown, a lot of struggles. Lowell House and Recovery Cafe will continue to offer programs and resources through the winter for the local community. For BUTV10, I'm Daphne Marr.