The program, now in its 11th year of existence, is operated from the Hope Pointe Community Church of the Nazarene at 5402-43 St. in Olds.
Donors drop off all kinds of freshly-laundered, gently-used winter jackets, coats and snowsuits, hats or tuques, mittens, and boots for children and adults.
Donations can be dropped off in Olds at The Brick, Westview Co-op or at Hope Pointe Community Church on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Or, donors can phone 403-556-8820 and one of the facilitators will call to arrange an alternate time.
There is no charge for the winter wear offered via this program and it is available to anyone in Mountain View County who needs a coat.
Donations are accepted until March 30.
Darlene Hyatt, pastor at Hope Pointe Community Church of the Nazarene speaks on behalf of the program, but it’s actually administered by two volunteers and their families.
“We need coats of all ages. Of all sizes,” she says. “We’ve got quite a few for little ones, but sort of elementary, high school, women and men are in shorter supply. Boots for all ages are a particular need.”
Hyatt also points out organizers “have no way to make repairs so please ensure zippers are functional and all buttons (are) intact.”
Hyatt says so far, demand has been about the same as in previous years. As of Oct. 11, 16 households had received coats through the program.
“I think we had a few people picking up coats a little earlier, just because of the two snowstorms. But in terms of donations, it kind of seems to be about the same,” she says.
“Usually in October, kind of after Thanksgiving, people go through their closets and figure out if they’re going to get something new and so on and so forth, so we will see.
“And then usually what happens is a couple of organizations will sponsor something for their Christmas parties or whatever and work on that.”
Hyatt says contrary to what some may think, the current downturn doesn’t seem to be resulting in more clients than when Coats For Everyone started up during a previous downturn in 2008. She says that one seemed to spark more need for coats, etc.
“In 2008 it was really, really widely used, because that was the year that we started getting a lot of temporary foreign workers who would arrive here with nothing, and there was such an economic downturn then,” Hyatt says.
“But now, it’s levelled off. It usually works out to between sort 140 to 160 households a year by the time the year is over. Some people outfit a whole family; some people come and get a coat for themselves.”
