Nearly 200 ‘Coats For Kids’ given away Saturday morning

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Nearly 200 winter coats and more than 100 pairs of boots were given away to kids Saturday, as St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charles City, held its annual “Coats For Kids” event.

Parish secretary Kathy Hoeft said the church has been holding the annual event for as long as she can remember.

“People donate coats all year long,” Hoeft said. “People also contribute money through memorials and other things, so we can go out and buy coats.”

Hoeft said donations of coats were still coming in Friday night before Saturday’s event, and Coats For Kids co-chairwomen Lori Janssen and Lisa Kreger said people were lined up down the halls of the church and outside Saturday morning.

“We had a good turnout, and we have wonderful volunteers who help us. We couldn’t do it without them,” Jansen said. “I think it was just awesome, we had a wonderful day.”

More than 80 pair of snow pants were also given away Saturday. Janssen said St. John takes donations of winter coats, boots, snow pants, hats, gloves and scarves.

“We have some people who will make us hats throughout the year,” she said. “We take donations of money or of nicely-used clothing.”

Hoeft said that some people knit or hand-crochet scarves just for the event.

“It gives them a winter project,” she said.

Janssen said the winter clothing is available to anybody in the community, with no requirements.

“You just come, and if we are able to supply you, we are happy to do it,” she said.

She said that boots are always the first thing to go, and the children need to be present to claim boots, because they need to try them on.

Clothing that is left over will be put in the church’s clothing room, for people in the community throughout the year. Some are packed away for next year, and some of the hats and gloves are left at the schools for children who forget to bring theirs. If they have an overabundance, they will take a few things out to the Treasure Chest as well.

Janssen said that anyone who missed Saturday’s giveaway should feel free to call the St. John’s office to find out if the church has anything available.