Bradford’s Coats for Kids campaign is getting warmed up for the annual coat drive in the parking lot in front of CONTACT Community Services at 95 Holland St. W., this Saturday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Coats 4 Kids has been operating in town for about 25 years, collecting gently washed winter gear of all sizes, including coats, hats, mittens, snowsuits and scarves, for donation to low-income residents.
Bradford realtor, Rose Sorbera, helped organize this year’s coat drive as well as the same event last year, which was able to collect more than 280 coats — a number she’s hoping to surpass with this year’s event.
“It’s definitely a growing need, and the reason I do it at this time of year is because when the temperature does change and there are kids that have outgrown their old coats from last year, it’s an ideal time for parents to go shopping for new winter coats,” she said, adding that parents may then find they have spare old coats to donate. “It’s perfect timing in September.”
This year, anyone who donates a coat during the event will be eligible to receive free glitter tattoos and balloons by Minerva’s Creations (from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), a free pumpkin courtesy of Brooks Farms in Mount Albert, free day passes to the farm, and be entered into a raffle for the chance to win a one-year family membership to the farm, which includes unlimited admission to the barnyard playland and all festivities, some of which include: Maple Sugar Festival, Easter Egg Hunt, Summer Festival, Fall Fun Festival, Spooky Nights and Festive Nights.
As an added bonus, Sorbera says the event helps raise awareness of the The Clothes Line and boost the number of people who visit the store, and after last year’s event, she’s already getting calls from people interested in the next one.
“People are asking me about it. They remember it and they’re asking when the next one is coming. ... There was definitely a need and we got a great response,” she said.
In addition to organizing the coat drive, Sorbera also helped launch The Clothes Line, which officially opened on Dec. 1, 2021.
“One day, I decided to call CONTACT Community Services and ask to see if there’s anything I could do to help out and give back in the community,” she said, adding that a little more than a month later “there was a grand opening and we did it right in the middle of COVID, and the store has been up and running ever since.”
The Clothes Line sells donated clothing at affordable prices, with profits going back to the community through CONTACT’s services in housing, employment, and community support.
For more information about The Clothes Line, call them at 905-778-9058 Ext. 111 or visit their website at www.contactcommunityservices.ca/the-clothes-line.
With files from Natasha Philpott, BradfordToday
