WS Chronicle

On Tuesday, Jan. 7, Red H.E.A.R.R.T. (Help Educate And Reduce Risk Today), Mayor Allen Joines and the Winston-Salem community kicked off a new Warm For Winter Holidays Coat Collection and giveaway initiative. The giveaway is meant to be a broad-reaching act of kindness from willing hearts to give warmth (coats, hats and gloves) to those who are in need, warming hearts and helping those who don’t have coats to keep warm. 

Coats will be accessible to those who need them throughout the week as long as they are available or until Jan. 14. The donated items will be hung on the fence of the Beaty Center’s Public Safety Office on 1200 Patterson Avenue. We encourage anyone who wants to donate to come any day up until Jan. 14 and between the times of 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and hang a coat up on the fence (underneath the protective plastic). Then, if an individual needs a coat, he or she can pick one up any day and time, as long as they are available. 

This initiative is not to replace any apparel efforts already in place; instead, the goal is to enhance and complement what’s already in place. Furthermore, it is to meet the needs of keeping individuals warm right where they may need it, within a mile and a half radius of four homeless shelters (Bethesda Center, Samaritan Ministries, The Salvation Army and The Rescue Mission). 

We would like to thank Beaty Center’s Public Safety Office for allowing us this opportunity to utilize their fence and for assisting us with the plastic covering for the coats for this coat giveaway. We also want to thank the following shelters for spreading the word about this event and attending the coat drive kick-off: 

Bethesda Center, Samaritan Ministries, Rescue Mission and Salvation Army. 

This event would not be possible without donations that have been coming in from churches (Union Baptist Church, Great Commission Community Church) and the community at large. Additional coats left over after the drive will be shared among the four homeless shelters.