Community group to distribute coats to those in need
Through the efforts of Uniontown Community Storehouse, in cooperation with Fayette County Community Action Inc., 1,400 people in need will stay a little warmer this winter. The agencies will give away 1,400 new and used coats on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 8 a.m. to noon.
“Anybody who needs a coat can have one,’ said the Rev. Brian Kisner, president of Community Storehouse and pastor of Bread of Life Tabernacle, which operates the storehouse as a ministry.
Community Storehouse receives support from about 35 local churches and service organizations, Kisner explained. And for the past six months, volunteers have been sorting through used-clothing donations to pull coats for this drive, as well as purchasing new coats at reduced prices.
“They are new. They are used. But all the junk has been thrown out. These are all wearable coats,’ said Kisner.
The need for a coat giveaway became obvious to members of Bread of Life through the church’s Love Cupboard, a smaller ministry located at the church at 15 Bouquet St. in Uniontown that gives away clothing and other goods to people in need.
“People were asking for coats. We had the opportunity to get coats,’ said Kisner.
Community Warehouse, which also provides to the needy but on a much larger scale, held its first coat drive in 2003 at its Fayette Street location, and organizers couldn’t believe the reaction.
“We didn’t expect the response. We started at 8 a.m. I was here at quarter to 7 and they were all lined up. We had traffic problems,’ said Kisner, who found himself apologizing to local businesses for parking situations.
This year, the coat drive is being held at Community Action, located at 140 N. Beeson Ave., Uniontown, in the garage, as suggested by Executive Director Jim Stark.
Organizers say that a person must show up to receive a coat. Only one coat will be given per person. No proof of income is needed.
“You can see the need on the kids,’ said Kisner. “There’s always someone trying to pull something fancy, but as a rule of thumb, you can see the need. And even if a kid comes in with a coat, if there’s a better coat, we’ll get him one.’
In addition to coats, Community Storehouse will have gloves, scarves and hats available. Kisner noted that John Lunt, owner of It’s a Buck, is providing the clothing drive with 500 pairs of gloves at a reduced cost.
Funding for the coat distribution includes private donations as well as a $900 grant from the Community Foundation of Fayette County. Last year, Community Foundation gave the organization $500.
Kisner said Community Storehouse would like to have a coat distribution in two or three places in order to reach more people. Anyone can come to the coat distribution, however.
“We don’t even care if you’re a resident of Fayette County, as long as you have a need,’ Kisner said.
Last year, Community Storehouse gave away about 1,000 coats. With the coat distribution only weeks away, organizers are still collecting for the event.
“We need all the coats we can get,’ Kisner said.
Anyone who wants to contribute to the coat drive can call Bread of Life at 724-438-4882 or drop donations off at the church at 15 Bouquet St. in Uniontown.