As temperatures drop and winter approaches, many community members rely on donated coats to help them keep warm.
A pair of local organizations are once again stepping up to help make that possible in the Morningstar Mission and United Way KFLA.
As of Oct. 24, Napanee’s Morningstar Mission is collecting warm winter coats and boots at their 58 Water St. W location, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Nov. 11.
United Way KFLA is also hosting a coat drive, running from Oct. 24 to Nov. 6 at several locations throughout their coverage area.
As residents begin to change over closets for the winter, community members are asked to please donate clean, new or gently used winter adult outerwear. The only requirement is that coats must be washable (no leather or heavy wool).
To make drop offs easy, bins are available to drop off donations at the United Way office, 417 Bagot Street, City Hall, 216 Ontario Street, or branches of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library or Lennox & Addington Library.
As donations are received, volunteers will sort and distribute coats to agencies throughout KFLA.
Financial donations are also accepted and help United Way purchase coats for people who need specialty sizes. Donations can be made online at www.unitedwaykfla.ca/donate/ – please indicate the donation is for the Coat Drive in the notes box – or call 613-542-2674 to donate.
“Last year over 1,100 items were donated during the coat drive and they went immediately to helping our fellow residents in need. Thank you to all those who generously donated through our previous drives, our amazing volunteers and partners who make this possible,” said Bhavana Varma, president and CEO, United Way KFL&A. “I am confident that our caring and compassionate community will step up once again.”
“Winter coats can be costly. If you are living on a fixed income or in poverty, then it is nearly impossible to buy a new coat,” said Leigh Martins, with Kingston Interval House, one of the agencies that receives donated coats. “Every year we have a lot of the people we serve reach out to us because they don’t have a warm coat to wear. The United Way coat drive allows this wonderful community to donate their gently used coats and our clients to stay warm in winter.”
Items can be dropped off in collection bins from until Nov. 6 at the following locations:
Kingston
- United Way KFL&A Office, 417 Bagot Street, Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Calvin Park Branch Library, 88 Wright Crescent, Mon-Thu 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fri-Sat 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Central Branch Library, 130 Johnson Street, Mon-Thu 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fri-Sat 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Isabel Turner Library, 935 Gardiners Road, Mon-Thu 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fri-Sat 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- City Hall, 216 Ontario Street, Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Frontenac
- Sydenham Branch Library, 4412 Wheatley Street, Mon 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tue& Thu 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Fri 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Sharbot Lake Branch Library, 1037 Robert Street, Tue & Thu, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Fri 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Lennox & Addington
- Napanee Branch Library, 25 River Road, Mon – Thu 10:00am to 8:00pm; Fri – Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Amherstview Branch Library, 322 Amherst Drive, Mon – Thu, 10:00am to 8:00pm; Fri – Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.