Christmas Season Coat, Toy and Clothing Drive in Maine
WLBZ News Center Coats for Kids
For ten years the employees of local news television station, WLBZ located in Bangor and its affiliate station WSCH in Portland, have sponsored a Coats For Kids drive. The program has also included scarves, mittens and hats along with an added feature Toys For Kids.
Project Coordinator, Aimee Turner recently announced via the station website that December 5, 2009 will be the 11th annual Coats and Toys For Kids Day all over the state of Maine. News Center crews from WLBZ and WSCH will be set up in five locations from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with live broadcasts. News Center anchors, reporters, meteorologists and sportscasters will personally greet donors of second hand, outgrown or new winter outer wear. Large boxes will be found in Hannaford and Shaw's Supermarkets around the entire state from November 23 to December 15. Pratt-Abbott Cleaners launder or dry clean all of the donations. The coats and winter outerwear will be turned over to the Salvation Army for distribution to families in need in time for Christmas. Pepsi and the Maine Oil Dealers Association also take part in the state-wide program.
The Coats For Kids program has a two-fold benefit. First and foremost it protects and keeps thousands of children warm during the biting cold of a Maine winter. Families that have outgrown clothing can take coats, snowmobile suits, ski-pants and vests to the drop off boxes instead of storing them away or sending them to the local landfill. When the program started we would make a day of it by encouraging our boys to carry their outgrown coats and ski pants from the previous year to the boxes at the grocery store. I felt it important to teach them to share what they could no longer wear. I knew a mother that would send an entire season of clothing to the landfill when she bought new clothes for her children years before my children were born. It was wasteful and heart-sickening in my mind. I vowed we would never do such a thing. Anything that can be re-used in some form must be recycled or shared these days. To throw perfectly good clothing away seems almost a crime these days when there are children who need them. Not to mention the need for re-use and recycling for the sake of the planet.
The Coats For Kids program collected 38,000 coats in 2008. It is truly a gift to the state of Maine.
Published by S Faloon
S Faloon is an active community member, Deputy Town Clerk/Voter Registrar and volunteer. She was a full time florist, is an artist, professional crafter and freelance writer with over 1,000 published articles. View profile
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- Maine Coats For Kids collected 38,000 coats in 2008
17 Comments
Post a CommentThis is such a great program. We have a Coats for Kids program here in northeast Ohio. It is done every October, and also hands out coats throughout the year. I love working on this project every year. The families getting the coats work so hard and being able to help them a little bit feels really good.
Really great, very well done !
This is a great idea. Coats are definitely expensive but in demand, especially in the cold of Maine. Thanks for sharing!
This is so great! Coats can be very expensive, and if they can't get one or get a hand me down... it's just sad... I am so glad there are drives like this to help kids have nice coats.. especially during Christmas.
The idea of a clothing drive in Maine is just great!!
I can't fathom throwing away kids' clothing! Our church recently had a "give-away" day, and kids' coats were the first things that disappeared.
Terrific opportunity to help out :)
Thanks for sharing this. :-)
Great reporting about an awesome heartwarming program!
Excellent coverage! I'm Twittering this one!