Loveland, Ohio – At just 12 years old, Gianpaolo Scheve launched his own organization to raise money to purchase blankets for Greater Cincinnati’s homeless as well as collect used blankets. Now 17, Cincerely Blankets is rounding out its 5th year and endeavors to raise $5,000 and donate more than 500 blankets this year alone.
Scheve started Cincerely Blankets in 2017 after hearing that a homeless man froze to death at a bus stop. He jumped into action right away to prevent this from happening to anyone else. In its inaugural year, Cincerely Blankets raised $1,000 to purchase more than 100 blankets. He distributed them to the 3rd Street Homeless Encampment, through Maslow’s Army Sunday Outreach program and to shelters in the downtown Cincinnati area.
Now in its 5th year, Scheve’s organization has raised more than $11,000 and donated 1100 blankets to those experiencing homeless in the Cincinnati area. His mission remains the same: Collect new or gently used blankets or collect contributions to buy new blankets and distribute them directly to the homeless. He continues to raise funds through his neighborhood, church and company blanket drives as well as social media campaigns. He distributes blankets to shelters and half-way houses like Shelterhouse, City Gospel Mission and St. Francis-St. Joseph’s Catholic Worker Home; to organizations like Excel Development who provide housing to the homeless who are chronically mentally ill; to homeless encampments; and through Maslow’s Army outreach.
The community can find more information and donate at CincerelyBlankets.com or through the Cincerely Blanket Facebook page.
Scheve is a junior at St. Xavier High School and aspires to major in Industrial Design in college. He resides in Loveland, Ohio with his parents and sister.
