‘The Bag Lady’ helps keep homeless warm with winter jackets

BRET ANNE SERBIN
Daily Inter Lake

KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) — Barbara St. John calls herself “The Bag Lady.” The nickname reflects St. John’s lighthearted approach to a serious undertaking: providing jackets that turn into sleeping bags for Kalispell’s homeless population. Since 2017, she’s outfitted about 150 people with specially made coats, the Daily Inter Lake reports. They’re high-quality and functional, made from material donated by Carhartt and Patagonia. St. John experienced the brutality of Montana winters after moving to the state and recalls passing a bus stop near her Kalispell home and seeing people standing in temperatures 15 below zero. Right now, the Bag Lady is a one-woman operation, but St. John hopes to expand the project.