One of the problems we ran across at the NE Meet Up was that we couldn't find a local store that had the items we needed to hand out to the homeless. And when we did find items, they weren't of as good a quality as we would have hoped, and were overpriced for what they were. So I decided to look into being able to buy better supplies to do better hand out missions. If you have a link to something quality and reasonably priced, please post it here. The more items we have access to, the better our outreach missions will be.

Surplus Army Blankets can be bought for around $10 each at cheaper than dirt. Cheap Than Dirt Website

Three pound woolen blankets are perfect for use as emergency blankets, or as camp blankets. These blankets measure 60x80" and come in three popular colors and wool percentages. The more wool, the warmer they are, and the more weather resistant. Yes, wool blankets can get soaked, but even a wet wool blanket will keep an individual warm.

Many thanks.

try talking with local nursing homes and care providers, (even funeral homes) about used blankets from patient transfers.
patients are moved from hospitals to hospices and care homes usally by ambulance or specialized transports. the blankets are kept by the different facilities but may not be used for different reasons. if asked they may make them available to you for free (best price to pay for anything like this) if you explain what they will be used for.
that is where I get most of the blankets I hand out. you may not get a lot but every one or two helps. I get about 10 a month average.

You might try the local hotels and motels also. My experience has been that there are usually several blankets or comforters that have been damaged or stained and they are unusable for customer rooms BUT they are still very usable to any person who needs a blanket. I used to give those blankets away to needy families when I ran the motel.

ALSO franchise hotels/motels are required to replace their blankets periodically and would probably be more than glad to sell them to you fairly cheap - especially if its for a good cause.

ALSO there may even be several blankets and other items left in the lost and found that have been there for years. We had coats, blankets, shoes, clothes, ice chests, backpacks, duffel bags, etc that had been stored for years. We were only required to hold them for 90 days and then they were supposed to be discarded. Again, I passed them on to needy families.

These blankets of much better quality than the others I had found before. At this price they come out to about half of what other sites have them for.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/12-new-90x64-blankets-gray.aspx?a=610420