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Keystone Coats for Kids

Updated: 4 days ago

Fund Drive Underway

For the tenth year, Keystone Coats for Kids is starting its winter coat drive. The first drive was in 2015 for the Keystone School District. The response from the community and even people from out of the area has been so overwhelming that I have been able to reach out to all school districts in Clarion County and most recently, East and West Forest School Districts.

In the past nine years, coats have also been given to the ACV First Program, Keystone SMILES, Clarion County Promise, Head Start Programs, Pre-K Programs, Knox Caring Cupboard, SAFE, Clarion County Children and Youth Services, Clarion Psychiatric Center, Community Action and local day care centers. To date, 4,052 coats, 496 pairs of tennis shoes, and 323 pairs of boots have been distributed. I have also handmade caps and scarves donated in the past that have been distributed

All coats are purchased through Operation Warm.org. Operation Warm was started by Dick Sanford in the winter of 1998 after he drove past a group of children without coats huddled together at a bus stop in Kennett Square, PA. The sight of the children led Sanford to a local store where he purchased 58 coats that were given directly to the children in need. His generosity inspired the creation of Operation Warm and since then millions of coats have been purchased as a result of communities working together to improve the livelihood of children in need. In 2021 Operation Warm also started offering washable tennis shoes along with coats.

All the coats are fleece-lined and have a fleece-lined hood. The cost of each coat is $21.00 and the tennis shoes are $21.00 pair and include socks.

Community support is what we need to keep this project going. Please consider donating for the sake of children in need.

Donations can be made payable to Keystone Coats for Kids and either mailed to or dropped off at Farmers National Bank, P.O. Box 665, Knox, PA 16232. To have the coats here before the cold weather, please make donations by October 19th.

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