Western Mass News teams up with the Salvation Army for Coats for Kids

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - The Coats For Kids drive is now underway!

Western Mass News has teamed up with the Salvation Army to provide gently used winter necessities for kids.

The Salvation Army Coats for Kids campaign was established in 1980, and over the last 30 years, tens of thousands of winter coats have been collected for children in western Massachusetts.

Western Mass News spoke to the Salvation Army Administrator and Pastor David Moore, who told us why it is important to help others this winter.

“This year is important with inflation, with prices going up at supermarkets, with other ways, so people are in need of so many things,” Moore told us.

Western Mass News also spoke to the Salvation Army’s Social Services Director Danielle Lateaille, who told us about the need this year.

“We are already getting the calls as Western Mass News aired the segment about Coats for Kids yesterday, so we are already getting calls, so I’m assuming we are going to get a large number, somewhere between 400-500 families, I would imagine,” Lateaille said.

The distribution day for the winter coats is on November 5th.

“We are going to have a big event here in the gym,” Lateaille said. “All the coats will be arranged by size, and kids can roam around and find their favorite coat.”

For families who cannot make it on the distribution day, there is a backup plan in place.

“When people come to us, we can give them a voucher and go over to one of the thrift stores and get a coat for free, if that’s not on that day, then another day,” Moore said.

You can drop your donations off here at the Western Mass News studios on 1300 Liberty Street in Springfield. When you open the door, you find a bin that will hold the donations.

Our coats for kids drive goes through October 7th. We will be collecting gently used kids’ jackets, scarves, hats, and gloves from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday here at Western Mass News.

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