Veteran survives San Diego winter with innovative sleeping bag coat | cbs8.com

Mar 20, 2025

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SAN DIEGO — In a powerful story of compassion making a real difference, Army veteran Benito Castillo credits a unique sleeping bag coat with helping him survive the harsh winter months while living on San Diego's streets.

"It saved my life. I was cold, freezing. I didn't know what I wanted to do," Castillo said.

Last December, the Lucky Duck Foundation distributed 4,500 weather-resistant sleeping bag coats to San Diego's homeless community. These innovative garments serve as warm coats during the day and transform into sleeping bags at night, providing crucial protection against the elements.

"When it rains here sometimes, it comes down, there ain't no forgiving you," Castillo explained, demonstrating how the coat converts into bedding. "You just close it up and look, you are in a sleeping bag."

Castillo, once an accomplished welder, found himself homeless after thieves stole his tools and truck. Like many veterans who served their country, he now faces the harsh realities of life on the streets. When asked how many rainy nights he weathered using the coat, he replied, "Almost every one of them."

The veteran's military training is evident as he efficiently rolls up his sleeping bag in the morning. "Oh yeah, it's easy enough to do, anybody can do it," said Castillo.

Lorena Galligan from the Third Avenue Charitable Organization, which helped distribute hundreds of the coats, emphasized their impact beyond physical warmth: "It gives them a sense of dignity, which is what anybody needs, right?"

This distribution is part of a larger initiative by the Lucky Duck Foundation, which has provided more than 12,500 heavy-duty, weather-resistant coats over several winters, making what they describe as a "tremendous, life-saving impact."

For Castillo, the kindness behind the donation resonates deeply. When asked how it feels to know people care, he replied with genuine emotion: "It makes me feel wonderful knowing that people care for other people as well as me."

While Castillo hopes to eventually leave life on the streets behind, for now, these sleeping bag coats provide essential protection and comfort. "This thing actually saves, man, it does," he affirmed.

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