‘Tis the season to give, and what better present than a coat for a child in need? Every December, Coats for Kids provides warm winter coats to thousands of disadvantaged children in Central Texas through a community-wide collection and distribution process. With the help of over 2,600 community volunteers, Coats for Kids distributes 30,000 coats on average to help the community stay warm this winter!
According to the 2009 Census, as many as 27% of children under age 18 are living below the poverty level. Although we’ve had an unusually warm year, the average temperate dips below 60 degrees more than seven months out of the year, which equates to the majority of the school year.
There are many ways to donate to Coats for Kids. Coat collection will run through Wednesday, December 7th and donors may bring their new or gently-used warm winter coats to any Jack Brown Cleaners or the office of urbanspace Realtors. Additionally, urbanspace Realtors is partnering with Coats for Kids to host a happy-hour coat drive at their downtown location on December 6th from 5:30 to 7:30. Please RSVP for this event on their Facebook page or email lisa@urbanspacerealtors.com.
Even if you don’t have a coat to give, you can contribute online. With the mass buying power of Coats for Kids, they are able to buy a coat for as little as $15. This can dramatically make a difference in a child’s life.
If you would like to volunteer to work the coat drive, just go on-line and register at www.jlaustin.org/coats. Various shifts are available during sorting week and on Distribution Day. Volunteers for Sorting Week must be at least 15 years old and accompanied by an adult if between the ages of 15 and 17 (one adult per child volunteer). The one exception to this rule is the Monday Youth Sorting Night, where children 8 and older can volunteer with a parent. Remember, volunteers on Distribution Day must be 18 years or older.
Youth Sorting Night will be held on Tuesday, December 6th from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Children ages 8 and older accompanied by a parent will help sort and prepare coats.
The School and Community Coat Drive Competitions run from Monday, November 14th through Friday, November, 30th. You may also participate in a coat drive competition or the School Coat Drive Competition by registering at www.jlaustin.org/coats.
Distribution Day will be held Saturday, December 10, 8am – 3pm.
The Junior League of Austin, Jack Brown Cleaners, KVUE and KASE 101 have partnered since 1997, and today Coats for Kids is the largest single day giving event for children in Central Texas and the 2nd largest coat distribution project in the United States. To date, Coats for Kids has distributed over 600,000 coats to needy children. Multiple generations of children have been served by this project and it continues to be a much loved and supported event for the entire community.
Give a true gift this year! Donate a coat, a little money, or a little time to Coats for Kids.
