United Way Peterborough is partnering with St. Vincent De Paul and its Vinnies store and asking the community to donate gently used winter clothing as part of the annual Coats For Kids campaign.
Vinnies on Erskine Street in Peterborough will be collecting the winter clothing for one day only and are asking for donations to be dropped off on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Volunteers at Vinnies will sort the coats at their warehouse before they are taken to local cleaners.
“We are thrilled to work with the United Way on this project that is so important to our community,” said Sue Mazziotti-Armitage, Vinnies’ client care co-ordinator.
The Coats For Kids campaign has been operating since 1986 and has helped deliver more than 17,000 winter clothing items and are calling for more support this year.
“We know the need for winter coats for kids and adults too is great. Our office is already getting calls from individuals and agencies for the distribution date,” said Lisa Smith, United Way Peterborough’s director of philanthropic impact.
This program provides much-needed relief to local families as one in six children in Peterborough lives in poverty, said the United Way. The agency says they continue to see families deal with sharply rising costs of living, leaving them without the means to purchase clothing to stay warm during the harsh winter months.
The coats will be distributed on Saturday, Oct. 27 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Peterborough Square.