Seventeen years and going strong for the Spread the Warmth coat drive.
The annual event goes until December 15th and is a way to help clients of Thunder Bay Shelter House, Grace Place, and Precious Bundles with warm winter clothing.
Jon Wynn is the owner of Gear Up for Outdoors on Alloy Place and is amazed at the generosity of those in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario, noting “A lot of the school groups will do things [in class and outside of it] getting together [and using their] community hours [to] do a coat drive. The one story that I always enjoy [too] is [Northern members within the Ontario Hospital Association] that looks after the hospitals in Manitouwadge, Terrace Bay and Schreiber; They collect the jackets, and then have them brought down [to Thunder Bay], which is a really huge community effort there. [It’s] something they don't necessarily have to do.”
Several changes to the campaign were instituted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which will carry on this year including contactless drop-offs, the requirement that all clothing items be washed and clean, each coat be stored in an individual clear plastic bag and that all donations be marked with a gender and size on the bag.
Grace Place Operations Manager Melody Macsemchuk said it means a lot to be involved in this campaign, adding “There are a lot of homeless individuals that aren't properly dressed in the winter, we see them walking around and we want to be able to help them out. With this partnership we're able to do that, and certainly it gets extremely cold here in Thunder Bay. [Having a warm coat] is not a luxury, it's a need.”
The campaign has collected and donated in excess of 19,000 coats to those less fortunate.
Donations can be made at the right-side entrance of Gear Up for Outdoors. Those participating can enter a draw to win gift cards.
Donations are being accepted until Saturday December 16th.
