Despite the commonly held notion that San Diego is the land of eternal sunshine, San Diego’s homeless population suffer from illness and even death each year during the cold winter nights. La Jollans Dennis Stein and Greg Gagnon — the “UPS Guys” — have teamed up with a local nonprofit to launch an initiative to help keep the city’s homeless individuals and families warm this winter season through their holiday-spirited clothing drive, “Homeless for the Holidays.” Until Christmas day, customers can donate new or gently used, cold-weather apparel — including beanies, socks, gloves, jackets and scarves — at any of Stein and Gagnon’s five UPS locations, including one in La Jolla Village at 7660 Fay Ave. and one in the Golden Triangle at 7770 Regents Rd. The clothing items will then be distributed to displaced San Diegans in winter survival backpacks by Girls Think Tank (GTT), a nonprofit that empowers the community to advance basic dignity through advocacy and activism, which has distributed nearly 2,000 survival backpacks since the program launched in 2006. “We’re thankful for Dennis, Greg and the San Diego community’s support this season,” said Noor Kazmi, GTT’s president. “Many people think of San Diego as an eternally warm and sunny town, but people living in the streets die each year from exposure to the cold.” Customers who donate items will be rewarded with deeply discounted rates on holiday packing materials and discounts on air shipping at the store locations — as well as knowing they helped spread some much-needed holiday merriment to those in dire situations on the streets of San Diego. “While UPS is a huge, worldwide brand, we’re just two local store owners who want to serve our communities,” said Gagnon. “We considered Angel Tags and other holiday-appropriate ideas, but quickly recognized we can help the very people we pass on the streets each day. There’s something innately good about helping those in your community, and it just feels right.”