“Turtle Project” to Help Homeless Gains Community Support

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Whitney Fear says she would have never thought that a tagged post on Facebook by her husband would turn into a project that now has over 4,000 supporters.

Every fall, the Fear family tries to find a way to give back. After being inspired by a similar project posted on Facebook, they started what they named the Turtle Project.

“Turtles carry their houses and these people don’t have how so the things that carry with them are very important to them and they need somewhere to carry them,” said Whitney Fear.

The project asks community members to donate large purses and backpacks filled with anything from socks, scarfs, gloves, to shampoo, that will be donated to the homeless.

Each backpack is attached with a note by fear to let the homeless know that somebody cares.

The Dorothy Day homeless shelter in Moorhead is one of the locations that will be getting a visit from the Turtle Project, and residents inside couldn’t describe how much it means.

“That there’s people out there that care,” said Edward W. who is currently homeless.

“Jackets and shoes, they’re very helpful that you don’t freeze to death, and that you have something to look forward to in a sense,” said Philip Butskosy who is currently homeless. 

Fear says the project is about more than just helping the homeless, but to bring awareness.

“People wonder why would somebody have a hard time staying in the shelter. They’ll find out it’s because of mental illness or some of the problems people have even living in the shelter,” she says.

The purse and backpack donations will be accepted through December 15th.

If you would like to donate to the Turtle Project there are six designated drop off locations, including Slammers Sports Bar and Grill in North Fargo.

To find out more about the project, visit the Turtle Project Facebook page.