The Coats for Kids Campaign is an annual children’s winter clothing drive, providing low-income families with warm winter coats, boots, snow pants, hats, mittens and scarves free of charge. Winter items are collected through donations, primarily in conjunction with local businesses and schools. When collections are complete a retail-type store is set up at the Legion Branch #1 where families can come and take what they need to outfit their children, at no cost, for the winter season. The free store will be taking place on November 14th, 18th, 21st and 25th from 9AM-3PM.
The VOCM Cares Coats for Kids Campaign is carried out in partnership with the Newfoundland Power, Canadian Red Cross, MUN Student Experience Office, Vibrant Communities, Metrobus, and the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #1.
Metrobus supports our campaign by providing the opportunity for a travelling depot, filling a bus with winter items and visiting areas of the St. John’s metro area, which may have families and children who cannot visit the free depot. Families can come on board the bus and take what they need free of charge.
Here is the schedule for the 2017 Metrobus travelling store:
November 15th:
- 1PM- Stella’s Circle
- 2:30PM- Mount Pearl Parish of the Ascension- Smallwood Drive
November 17th:
- 1PM- Virginia Park Community Centre
- 3PM- Chalker Place
November 20th:
- 1PM- Buckmasters Circle
- 2:30PM- Westheights – 62 New Penny Well Road
November 22nd:
- 1PM- Wigmore Court
- 2:30PM- Jenson Camp/Fitzgerald Place
November 24th:
- 1PM- Rabbittown Community Centre
- 2:30PM- Parkside
November 27th:
- 1PM- ANC School- Elizabeth Avenue
- 2:30PM- Brother McShefferey Outreach House- Kelly/Brophy Place
For a number of years Newfoundland Power has taken a special interest in this project and has allowed the VOCM Cares Foundation to place an insert in their October monthly residential billing advertising the Coats for Kids Campaign. They also extended their support a step further by co-ordinating the collection and distribution of winter items from their depots stretching from Carbonear to Corner Brook.
Opportunities to donate also exist through events such as movie showings hosted at Cineplex Theaters. At these events the general public are invited to a special screening at one of the Cineplex Theatres in which admission is a donated winter clothing item for the program.
