By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
You probably don’t even want to think about winter, but officials at the St. Joseph Salvation Army are, preparing for their annual coat drive.
Major Ronald Key says he and his staff are now collecting new and gently used coats for the Salvation Army's annual coat distribution.
"If you want to donate now, they can either be used coats or they can be new coats or they can be slightly used coats," Key tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "So they need to be kind of clean, the zippers need to work, or if they're button kind of coats they need to be in good shape, but along with the coats we also give out scarves, and hats, and gloves, and things like that also."
Key says there is a larger need for hats, gloves, and scarves to be donated because every year they run out of those faster than coats
"That's the thing we really run short of, so if there's somebody out there that says yeah, I can't afford a coat or I have one I use myself, but they have hats and gloves things like that, we'll take those and give them out also," Key says.
Winter clothes can be dropped off at the Salvation Army's offices throughout the winter as well.
Last year 650 coats were given out to those in need, which Major Ronald Key says is a pretty standard amount
"We've been between 600 and 700 since I've been here," Key explains. "We just do it a little different now, we used to do it in one day, so now they come in and get a voucher and then they go over to our warehouse, and they can pick from coats there, we will start giving coats out November 1st."
To get ready for the event the Salvation Army is starting to collect coats and other winter clothes. People can bring either new or gently used winter clothes to the Salvation Army at 602 Messanie in St. Joseph.