Coat drive seeks 100 donations

Date: 11/4/2008

By Lori Szepelak

Correspondent



HOLYOKE Clean coats in good condition for all ages are desperately sought for the needy in the city as the region slowly heads into winter.

Throughout November, Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc. will be collecting coats and hope that 50 to 100 will be dropped off by generous area residents.

"This is the first year we have had the need to run a coat drive ourselves," Christine Burns said during an interview with Reminder Publications. Burns oversees development and special projects for Providence Ministries.

Burns explained that the coats collected will be given to children, men and women in their shelters, as well as to school officials who call seeking assistance.

"We have already received calls from one of the public schools looking for help with some young students who don't have appropriate clothes for cold days," Burns added. "Winter isn't even here yet and there will be many more requests to follow."

Burns noted that 15 women and 43 children of all ages are currently residing at the Broderick House, a shelter for homeless women and their children, while 22 men reside at Loreto House which offers transitional housing for homeless men.

Coats can be dropped off weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Margaret's Pantry, 56 Cabot St. Margaret's Pantry provides food supplies to more than 20 individuals every week.

For more information, contact Brenda Lamagdelaine, pantry manager and volunteer coordinator, at Providence Ministries at 536-9109.