Church seeks donations for annual coat giveaway
Bread of Life Tabernacle in Uniontown, along with the Uniontown Community Storehouse/Gospel on Wheels, is issuing a plea for donations of coats for its annual coat giveaway, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at the Uniontown Social Hall on Dunbar Street. The fourth annual coat giveaway is being held in conjunction with Unison Med Plus Health System’s Rudolph Christmas Party with Santa and Mrs. Claus. The event will begin at 9 a.m. with a parade that starts at the fire station and ends at the social hall, where Santa and Mrs. Claus are taken.
The Rev. Brian and Sharon Kisner reported that Unison Med Plus Health System has been offering the Christmas party for 11 years and that it includes face painting, cookie decorating, balloons, dental screening, Santa helpers, refreshments, blood pressure screening, Christmas carolers and more.
“They agreed to give us a corner so we can put all these events in one building,’ said Kisner, who added, “I think what they’re doing is quite a great thing.’
A person must be present to receive a coat and there is a limit of one coat per person.
The coat drive is offered by three affiliated organizations. Bread of Life Tabernacle is the church that started the Gospel on Wheels, which is a traveling ministry, and Uniontown Community Storehouse, which supplies products to 41 member agencies and churches. The storehouse, which has been in existence since 2000 and receives support from World Vision, distributed about $2.4 million in goods in 2005.
This year, private individuals have made $4,000 in donations to the coat giveaway. The money helped purchase new coats over the Internet at $8 to $9 a piece and used from a thrift store in Pittsburgh at the cost of $2 a piece.
In addition, donations of coats also have been received.
“Joseph Furniture Outlet is collecting coats for us,’ said Kisner.
“The sisters at St. Mary’s dropped off coats,’ said Sharon Kisner.
There are other contributions as well. It’s a Buck donated 600 hats for the giveaway. Gloves will also be available.
But the Kisners explained they still are behind in their coat collection because of a greater need.
“We gave a lot of coats away all winter. Usually, if we had excess coats, we saved them (for the annual coat drive), but we had a need,’ said Kisner.
That means the program needs more coats for the Dec. 9 giveaway.
“We need children’s coats desperately,’ said Sharon Kisner.
People who would like to contribute can call 724-438-4882 and arrangements will be made to pick up the coats. They can also drop off coats from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday or from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at Uniontown Community Storehouse, located at 26 E. Fayette St.
In each of the previous years, the coat drive gave away more than 1,000 coats.
“We did a coat drive one year and we gave away 1,000 coats. It shocked us,’ said Kisner. “The next year we did 1,100. We probably did 450 to 500 brand new coats and the rest were used. We probably gave away 1,100 to 1,200 last year.’
And they are anticipating such a need again this year, so they want to be prepared.
“We see kids on their way to school in coats that are too big, in coats that are too small and coats that are torn,’ said Sharon Kisner.
Adults need coats, too. Last year, the coat giveaway ran out of men’s coats. The giveaway will once again be giving away men and women’s coats this year.
“It’s a lot of work and we appreciate the volunteers,’ said Kisner.
Sharon Kisner explained they sort through the coats and place stickers on them so the sizes can be quickly identified during the giveaway. Veronica Martin coordinates the program.
The program hopes to build up its supplies for next year. The Kisners note they are talking with News 10 in Sacramento, Calif., which has collected 40,000 coats for its own drive. The Kisners plan to contact News 10 in January to see if they have any leftover coats that could be sent to Uniontown for the 2007 coat giveaway.
“If we would get 5,000 coats, we’ll expand this thing out,’ said Kisner, “because we know there are people who can’t get to us.’
For more information on the coat giveaway, call 724-438-4882.