People waiting to ride buses in Tallahassee Friday morning got a surprise to help take the edge off the cold weather. City workers handed out gloves, hats, donuts and coffee to bus riders and the homeless.
At 7 a.m. Friday, it was COLD in Tallahassee.
WTSP Meteorologist Bobby Deskins gave this forecast: “It’s breezy out there, and it’s going to make it feel more like the 20's as you step outside.”
He wasn’t kidding.
At Star Metro’s C.K. Steele Plaza downtown, a table greeted people shuffling up with hands in their pockets. A banner in front read “Spreading Warmth and Sweet Smiles in the Plaza.”
City workers asked, “Would you like a hat? Would you like a pair of gloves?”
The aptly named Sandra Smiley is a StarMetro administrative specialist. She says the city encourages employees to come up with community service projects, and she thought of collecting and distributing winter accessories.
“And because I had that network with the other administrative professionals with the city of Tallahassee, it was a good thing because I could just contact them because they’re really the root and the backbone of the city employees. And that way I could get the information out there," she said.
She says city workers will continue collecting hats and gloves through mid-February and take them to area homeless shelters. Several bags full were distributed at the Star Metro plaza Friday.
April Graham was among the people who took a pair of gloves. She says when she saw the table it helped take the nip out of the 20-degree wind chill.
“Warm…it’s gonna be warm today," she said.
Smiley says StarMetro is considering a repeat of what she calls the Cover Me project next year. But in less than a week, they’re kicking off a canned-food drive they call Caring in Motion. From January 30 to February 15, bus riders who bring three canned items ride free all day.