Although the weather has mostly been mild so far, the cold is never far away when a Canadian winter is around the corner.
Four years ago, Sundre resident Shelley Kohut decided to provide an option for people who need a warm winter coat. So she established Coats for the Cold, which has run every year since.
“The idea is if somebody sees a coat they want, they can take it,” said Kohut, a local realtor who runs the initiative.
Two racks of coats — one for children and another for adults — are available next to the Sundre IGA for anyone in need.
Donations are welcome, and can be dropped off at Kohut's office, located at 308 Main Avenue, which doubles as the home of Neighbours Helping Neighbours.
The focus is specifically for warm coats, as the Neighbours Helping Neighbours program receives sufficient contributions of items like tuques and gloves, said Kohut.
“What we want is good warm coats — not light spring jackets.”
There also seems to be a higher demand for adult coats over children's coats, and more demand for women's coats than for men's, she said.
She occasionally stops by to check the racks to tidy up if necessary and to add new coats as needed. Volunteers also place in the jackets' pockets Bibles provided by McDougal Chapel, which is affiliated with Coats for the Cold, located west of Sundre.
“The whole effort is about trying to show Jesus' love in the community,” she said.
Provided people continue to take coats from the racks, she plans to keep more coming.
“As long as I see they (the coats) are going, I keep going.”
Last year, more than 160 coats were picked up by people who needed them. This year, more than 60 have been put on the racks. However, some people drop off jackets directly on the rack, so it's not possible to track an exact number of coats that have been donated. The weather was also much colder at this time last year, and many people appreciated being able to pick up a winter coat for free, she said.
Kohut also expressed her appreciation of being granted the spot for the racks by IGA owners Marty and Tom Mennear, as well as manager Barkley Carrier.
“They always allow me to put my site there.”
