Oak Harbor’s Sea Mar Behavioral Health Center’s first blanket and clothing drive comes right before the center’s one-year anniversary.

The drive, which started in July, was not just one person’s idea.

“It was pretty much a team effort,” said Program Manager Emmanuel Montenegro.

Counselors Mark McNaughton and Sonya Lohr said they came up with the idea hold the drive when they saw a homeless person living outside the center.

McNaughton and Lohr, along with Montenegro, Case Manager Cara Holmes and other members of the team, started the drive to provide for the center’s clients.

“Some of our clients are homeless,” Montenegro said, adding that they need clothing.

The organization provides mental health, substance abuse, behavioral help and chemical dependency services to children, youth, adults and families in need.

Montenegro said clients come to the center, get evaluated and decide how to proceed from there.

Sea Mar mostly works with out-patient clients, but also offers individual and group therapy at the center.

Sea Mar also has a dental clinic in Oak Harbor.

Montenegro himself took boxes for donations to local businesses Thrive Fitness, Albertson’s and Whidbey Island Bank.

Other staffers donated their own clothes and blankets.

The blanket and clothing drive is accepting donations through Nov. 24. Sea Mar will distribute the donations to their clients.

On Nov. 25, the center will allow the public to look through items that were not already given to official Sea Mar clients.

Timing of the drive is good because it ends just before Thanksgiving weekend, Montenegro said.

To date, the center has six 24-inch by 24-inch boxes filled with blankets and clothes.

And while this is the first drive they have done, Montenegro said they’re thinking about a food drive for next year.

“It’s good community outreach,” he said.